Baila Conmigo
by Derecho Nox
Summary: A night of mystery, magic, and romance. Truths revealed, stories told, and a dance finally shared. The first date. Come, dance with me. Third in Interrogation Series BMWW / HGGL / OCs
1. Prelude: Friday Night Monitor Duty

_¡Hola, mis amigos!_ Trying something a little different here. There's a theme going on, but I tried to keep it subtle, and there are a few more points of view going on than my last stories. I've also included a few OCs later in the story, but hopefully you'll like them as much as I do. Follow the playlist on my profile page; I leaned heavily on the music to help me through this one! I'll try and post links on my Twitter page to each of them. Translations at the bottom of the page if I have them. And as usual - not making any money off of this. All DC characters belong to them. I just bring them out to play, dance, and have some fun. _¡Vamanos!_

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*_Que redimidos sean tus patrones será algún día / y que la humildad se vuelva orgullo será algún día / y que seas igual a los demás será algún día, / será algún día. - La Niña_ - Lila Downs

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_"...I'm finally getting that dance he's owed me for years."_  
_"He owed you a dance? How'd that happen?"_  
_"I'm trying to imagine Batman dancing. That's just weird."  
__"He won't be in uniform, dummy. This is Bruce Wayne we're talking about.  
__He'll probably be the best dressed man there, and he's got style in spades."  
__-Interrogation Tactics Chapter 10: Debriefing the Case_

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Shayera walked down the corridor with a slight pep to her step, smiling at those who passed her, even giving two technicians a jaunty wave. She knew they were looking at her in surprise, but she didn't care; she felt great! She continued her stroll through the hallway, a smile planted on her lips.

When she entered the cafeteria, she knew she was receiving stares. Ever since she returned to the League, such was the status quo; she enters a public area, eyes turn to her, it gets quiet for a few seconds, and then the whispers begin. She knew what they were talking about, but for once it didn't bother her. Not that she ever cared, but really, how often could you talk about the Thanagarian invasion and her involvement. Old news!

She tucked the book she was carrying under her arm and approached the beverage section. She noted that the iced mocha machine was out of order, most likely empty. _Hope Diana got some before it was all gone. _Shayera knew that you didn't want to confront Wonder Woman if she hadn't had her favorite frozen drink that day. She scanned the area for another option, wanting to get something before she had to leave for duty.

"_Olá. Como você está?" _Shayera jumped at the sound of the soft, accented voice. She turned and found Fire standing there, holding an empty glass in her hand, looking past Shayera at the mocha machine.

"Excuse me?"

"Oh, sorry. I said 'hello, how are you?" Shayera nodded in understanding. She knew Beatriz's native language was not the usual American English one hears on the 'Tower. She tried to remember where she came from, then recalled a conversation with Flash. _Oh yeah, she's...Brazilian._

"Um, I'm fine. Thanks for asking." Unless it was Flash or another senior Leaguer, she didn't get much idle chatter from anyone else. Her reputation, and other things, preceded her.

"It looks like the mocha machine is _vazio _again. It seems to be a popular drink on the station."

"It is, but when you got Wonder Woman and Flash endorsing it every day, one wants to drink the beverage of champions, you know?"

"This is true. _Senhorita _Wonder Woman got the last glass just a few minutes ago." _Ah, good! _"Were you looking for something else to drink?"

"Yeah. I'd like to take something with me before reporting to duty. I had my hopes on some caffeine since it's the evening shift, but it looks like I'll need to make due."

"Here, let me make something for you. See if you like it." Beatriz took the glass from a surprised Shayera. As the green-haired heroine busied herself, she continued to talk. "So, you're doing the Friday evening shift. Doesn't Wonder Woman usually take that?"

"She used to. I'm covering for her for the time being."

"Oooh, what happened, did you get in trouble?"

Shayera smirked at the question. _Not exactly..._ "No, more like lost a bet."

"You bet Wonder Woman on something? That's a story I'd like to hear."

"Not my story to tell." _And I'd like to keep my flight feathers, thank you very much!_

Beatriz finished her beverage assembly and presented it to Shayera. A straw poked out, and a lemon wedge perched on the rim of the glass. Tentatively, Shay took a sip.

"Wow! This is really good! What is it?"

"Mango Iced Tea, one of my specialties here on the 'Tower. Everyone's always trying to get to the mocha; I figured I'd make a drink I could actually have. Not too many people think to use the mango syrup. There's always a lot left."

"Well, now you have someone endorsing your drink." Beatriz smiled at Shayera's statement. The winged hero was confused at why the younger leaguer was being so nice to her. Perhaps she was trying to get in good with a founding member, or making sure she was assigned to more lucrative missions.

Or maybe she was just trying to make a friend.

"Here, let me put this in a carrying cup for you. If you're going to be on duty, then you'll want to have this covered. We don't want Batman to come after you if it spills." Shayera felt she had plenty of experience with Batman 'coming after her.' It was a short confrontation, but explosive, like a bomb - a nuclear one. She still felt the fallout now.

"Thank you, Beatriz. Or how do you say that in your language?"

"_Obrigada. _And _de nada. _You're welcome."

"_Obrigada, de nada." _Shayera repeated. _Hmm, learn something new everyday._ She picked up her book and smiled towards the green-haired heroine. The evening had just gotten better.

Shayera sipped on her drink as she finally arrived at the monitor room. She knew she deserved to be the first of her trio to take the extra shift, so she prepared herself to spend the time catching up with her reading. She had the latest bestseller - the one with a young, naive but strong girl who catches the attention of the older, more experienced man...

The hatch opened and all thoughts of a relaxing evening were firmly dashed to the nearest waste receptacle. Shayera stepped into the room, allowing the door to shut behind her. She wished she had finished her drink outside. Now Batman will see her with the beverage around the delicate equipment he designed and paid for.

Shay stood there as the tall, dark figure turned from the monitor display. He seemed to grow to seven feet tall as he walked over. She resisted the urge to shield herself with her wings. Instead, she slowly moved around him, keeping her front to him. She placed her book on the console, took one last sip of her drink, then dropped the empty cup into the trashcan. They both stood there silently.

_Someone...please speak...oh, man…damn Batglare...not again...don't be the first to break...don't look at him...please let an emergency come over the comm sometime soon...like, right now..._

She couldn't help it. Her throat had gone dry and she had to cough. _Ahem. _The spell broke. She could breath again.

"You know there are no liquids allowed in the monitor room." His voice was surprisingly low and, well, not soft, but not rough either.

"I was finishing it up, so it was only in here for a few seconds. Not long enough to damage anything sensitive." She almost added _lighten up_, but she was talking to darkness incarnate. He eats light like a black hole.

"Make sure it doesn't happen again." And that was that. She resisted the urge to breath a sigh of relief. She wasn't out of the woods yet - he was still in the room.

"So, Batman. I'm surprised you're here. You know, like you have somewhere better to be..." She reminded him of the part she played in his and Wonder Woman's hook up. She figured he wouldn't want to hurt the person who was instrumental at prodding Diana to approach him in the first place.

Oops, she just reminded him how she meddled in his business. _Good job, Shay. Just tie the noose for him, why don't ya!_

If he noticed her faux pas, he didn't mention it. Instead, he brought out a neatly bound stack of papers out from under his cloak, handing them to her without a word. Shay hesitantly took the offered stack, not sure what to make of it.

"I need you to look at this. As a detective, you might be able to give some insight to this investigation. I won't taint your view by telling you what it's about. I want to know if there's anything you can find that I haven't seen yet."

Shay held the report differently, settling it in the palm of her hand. She felt the weight of the stack, noticing that it seemed thicker than the book that she had brought with her. She looked back at the hardback on the console. Book...report. Titillating story...dry facts. Fantasy...mystery?

"Sure, Batman. No problem. I can look at it." She was raring to flex her investigation wings. She felt like she needed to do something to prove that her return was worth the effort. If she could impress the Batman, that would definitely help silence the whispers when she enters a room.

Shay started flipping through the report, noticing diagrams, chemical formulas, and pages of neatly spaced text - definitely a thorough manuscript. She nearly started reading it when she noticed that Batman was still standing there. He seemed...expectant.

"Is there anything else I can do for you?" She didn't really want to invite more conversation, but his presence unnerved her. He seemed to have relaxed his stance a little, and he crossed his arms across his chest.

"Yes, I do have a question for you." Shay turned, placing the report on her now forgotten book. She returned her attention to him, putting her hands on her cocked hips. He was on her time now, so she felt like she could give him a little sass for his efforts.

"Why are you following my activities so closely?"

"Um, what?" She felt as if he had clipped her flight feathers and was tumbling down into the ocean.

"Two nights ago, when you were talking with Diana. You said that Bruce Wayne had, what was it...'style in spades'? First of all, thank you." He put a hand over his heart and gave a slight bow. This unnerved Shayera even more. He might as well have slapped her upside her head.

"Before that, you seemed to know about my interrogation tactics, at least when it came to Diana, and the attention I get while on the Watchtower. That, by the way, was really strange for me to hear." Shay shrugged her shoulders. She couldn't help how others looked at him. She couldn't blame them either...

"You didn't seem all that interested in me until after you left the League. Now, you seem to know not only my dressing habits, but my mannerisms and even my attractions. You've done some investigating of your own. Why?"

"It's just something that I noticed. You know, being a detective and all. I can't help but take note of certain habitual patterns."

"I would believe you, except you used that information to your own advantage. Your observations of my methods with Diana were very accurate. Your knowledge helped Diana and me get together, putting us in your debt. So I ask again, why are you following my activities so closely?"

"What are you implying? That I might be gathering information to pass on again? That I'm spying on you and that I will somehow betray you?"

"You seem awfully defensive, Shayera. Is there something you would like to confess?" He had moved into her space, using his stature to intimidate her.

"Don't you use that tactic with me. It might work with Diana, but I'm not buying it. I know you're trying to intimidate me, and it won't work."

"I'm trying to figure out what you're up to. Or, maybe, why you're so interested. Not exactly the same thing."

"Why is it important to you? Why are you grilling me about this? I haven't done anything wrong."

"I didn't say you did. However, now that I have more to protect in my life, I will be following anything strange that's happening to me. So, I ask you again. Why are you following me? Don't make me force it out of you." His voice started taking on the rough quality he used during a real interrogation. She didn't want to be intimidated, but he was touching on something she hoped to keep to herself...

"You know - if you don't want anyone to know that much about you, maybe you shouldn't be so visible in the public eye." He stepped back from her as if she had hit him with her mace. _Great, now we're going to come to blows. Nice, Shay, very nice. _

"Explain yourself." She tried to talk, but nothing came out. "NOW!" His advance had her retreating backwards.

"I mean, you as Bruce Wayne. You're very easy to find in the papers, on TV, and on the Internet. You go to these galas, and make appearances at charity events. You're even in the financial section when you make an impressive venture that brings in a lot of money. And, you might not realize it, but you use some of the same moves on the different women that you take to those social events. I knew you'd use those on Diana if given the chance." Shayera wasn't sure if she saw right, but did she just make the Batman blush?

"You're two seconds away from being dragged into a training room if you don't explain why you're following me."

"Sure, why not! Punish me for following the one senior member in the league that I could actually see while I was in exile. Maybe I followed you because, through you, I could actually keep track on what was going on up here. You make a lucrative venture - I knew the Watchtower and league members were cared for. You go to a charity event, all is well and you're not assigned to any dangerous missions, and maybe none of the other senior leaguers either. You show up with a different woman on your arm, you haven't settled down with anyone and maybe Diana still had a chance of catching your attention.

"Perhaps by following you, I might have felt a little more connected to the only people on this planet that felt like family to me. Maybe by watching you, I didn't feel so goddamned lonely anymore!" She fought to keep her voice from cracking. She could feel her wings start to quiver and hated herself for showing any type of emotion other than stone cold nothing. Like what Batman was showing now.

"Why didn't you contact John if you wanted to know what was going on here? I'm sure he would have told you."

"Oh, right! Show up at his doorstep just weeks after my people try to take over the planet. That would have gone over well on the streets of Detroit. Or maybe I could have gone to Central City and visited Wally at his place. How about Metropolis, New York, or Gotham? Where could I have gone that wouldn't have had me attacked, and rightfully so?"

"You chose to leave the league. As you already know, Superman, Flash, and Manhunter voted to keep you, and Green Lantern absconded. You would have been able to stay."

"But you and Diana voted against me. I know you did, even though I left before I could find out. How was I supposed to stay around when two of the three strongest hitters of the League didn't believe in me? I would have watched both my front and my back, afraid that I was being second-guessed while I was fighting for my life. We both know I had to leave. It was for the best."

"The best for who? Best for the league because we couldn't possibly keep a traitor in our midst, even though more than half of the voting members didn't feel that way? Or best for you, because you felt so defeated, that you didn't want to fight anymore?"

Shayera didn't know what to say to that. She was staring into Batman's lenses, feeling like the white voids were digging straight into her soul. She knew he was expecting an answer, but her mind was swirling with the truths he had uncovered. She opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. She realized that she could taste a salty liquid on her lips. She couldn't keep back the tears if she wanted to.

"My entire presence here was a lie. I knew that my people were coming, though I didn't know their ulterior motive. I could have told you, warned you. At least you would have been able to meet them on equal ground. Because of me, we lost not only our headquarters, but nearly the entire planet."

Batman continued to stare at her, analyzing what she said. He stepped away and turned from her, but didn't leave the room. She continued to stare at his caped back, wondering what was coming next. _He's going to ask me to leave. He regrets that I returned at all..._

Nodding his head as if confirming a thought, he swiftly turned back to her. "Computer, voice recognition Batman-zero-two, security authorization alpha. Lockdown Monitor Room systems. Secure doors, divert cameras to hangar bay, and disconnect all recording devices from this room. Override main security protocols authorization bwbm-91939-execute."

Shayera started shaking at the rough command tone in his voice. When he advanced towards her, she couldn't keep her rebellious front anymore. She ducked her head, wrapped her wings around body, and waited for the inevitable dressing down. Instead she heard a slight rustling, then felt a weight settle onto her shoulder.

"Shayera, look at me." Cautiously peering up, she was startled to find a pair of sapphire blue eyes gazing back at her. She gasped when she saw Bruce Wayne's familiar face. Without thinking, Shay threw herself into his arms, clutching at him with a desperate hug.

"Oof! Uh, Shayera? Err...this wasn't the reaction I was expecting when I took off the cowl. What...what are you doing?"

"Sorry. It's just...yours was the face I looked for when I was searching for news. It feels like I really know you. I know I don't...not really, but I wanted to thank you for being there for me. Not that you knew that you were..."

Bruce awkwardly patted her back, trying not to hit her wings with his hands. He moved to unwrap her arms from around him when he accidentally snagged a few feathers in his gauntlet spikes. She jumped, feeling them rip out of her skin, then stepped back in astonishment. Sticking out at his wrists were two perfect white flight feathers.

"I'm sorry! I didn't know that would happen. Not that any of this is going the way I planned..." Bruce moved away from her, holding out the offending arm for her to take her feathers back. She plucked them out of the spikes and held them in her hand, twirling them back and forth in her fingers. A small smile spread across her lips, which increased into a grin.

"You know what, you keep these. Let's call them a token of my gratitude for you being the person that you are. Here, let me just tuck them away," She took his wrists in her hands, pushing them into the gap between his gauntlet and his gloves. After both feathers have been securely hidden, she gave each wrist a firm pat. "There. Now you can't see them. So, is there something you wanted to tell me? A reason you took off your cowl?"

Bruce glanced back and forth between the now smiling Thanagarian and his wrists. He appeared like he lost total comprehension of what was going on. "Yes, there was. If I could just remember what we were talking about before all this happened..."

"You were telling me that I didn't want to fight anymore. You were right."

"But, what I don't understand is why you think it was all your fault."

"You know why! I could have..."

"No, Shayera. Yes, you could have told us, but would that really have mattered? Your government lied to you, too. They told you your assignment was to scout the planet and pass on information, not for conquest. We would have worked on faulty information. They still would have invaded if you told us or not.

"I also realize that my vote to kick you off the league may have been based upon other factors." When she glanced at him expectantly, he elaborated, "I was furious over having to crash the Watchtower into the Thanagarian base. Lots of money, time, and effort went into building that station. And if Superman hadn't saved me, well, we wouldn't be having this conversation."

"Yes, I can see how that would make you want to lash out at the closest winged person to you."

"But when you returned, I noticed how you were taking on the guilt of your entire people. You didn't single-handedly invade our planet. That was a concerted effort of a hostile government. You just happen to be the one we trusted the most. With that, I think it's unfair that you continually be persecuted for something you couldn't help. By those who judge you, and by your own opinion."

"What are you saying? That you forgive me?" Shayera could only hope that he was saying that...

"I'm saying that you need to stop trying so hard to prove yourself, and that you've already shown that you are a valuable part of the team. You've suffered enough for your mistakes. Anything you do from now on will be considered a valid contribution to the league, without any judgments or evaluations."

"You know, all you had to say is 'you're forgiven'. But then, I kinda figured you're not one for touchy feely words." She threw him a quirky grin. He answered with his own crooked smile, glancing away from her.

"Actually, I think I may be getting better at that. Which is another reason I'm here. I wanted to thank you for making that bet with Diana. It was gutsy as hell, but I can't complain about the results. Though I question your methods, I'm grateful that you pushed her my way. Things have been...good after that."

Shayera's spirit lightened after Bruce's confession. "You know, I wasn't lying when I said that you two were driving me crazy the way you kept dancing around each other. I didn't have an ulterior motive when I suggested the mission to get you together. I just wanted to see both of you happy."

"And when are you going to claim that for yourself? You've been doing your own dance ever since you returned. We both know John still has feelings for you."

"But he made it clear that he and Vixen were together..."

"And that's stopping you how? I was just told a few days ago that anything worth having is worth fighting for. Don't you want to fight to get back what you gave up in the first place?"

"I would, but Vixen..."

"I don't think Vixen is the one you need to convince. Remind him. There's a reason he was with you in the first place."

"I'll have to think about that. He's already rebuffed me once. I kind of figured that was the end of it."

"Take it from someone who knows. Just because he pushed you away once doesn't mean he wants you to stop trying. He's shown the signs. Use them."

"You seem invested in what happens to us. Why the sudden interest?"

"We both know what the future holds for the two of you. He might deny it, but I don't. Besides, I saw a future version of myself that I didn't like. I want to make sure he didn't make the same kind of mistake I'm trying to avoid. You're a formidable woman. You can make it happen."

"I didn't realize you could be so inspiring. That's usually Superman's job."

"Watch it, woman. I can still take you to a training room..."

"No, no! That's okay. I'll just stay here and study your report." Shay tilted her head to the side. "You know, Diana's really lucky to have you."

"I truly think it's the other way around."

"Well, I get to see the two of you together. The press is going to love this! The Amazon Princess and Gotham's prince? It's like a fairytale! I can't wait to see what she wears. And you! You always have the best suits." She had the pleasure of making the unmasked Batman blush again.

"You might want to save your energy. No one's going to see a thing." With that, he took a small envelope out from under his cape. Handing it to her, he stated, "If you need to know where we are, follow these directions. You'll find it quite...enchanting."

Shayera opened the envelope to find a small card. Printed in neat handwriting were a set of coordinates. And was that a radio frequency? She peered up at Bruce, and her heart jumped to find Batman standing in front of her.

"Voice recognition Batman-zero-two, security authorization alpha. Deactivate all previous special security measures to the monitor room. Return all standard protocols authorization bwbm-91939-execute." He stared coldly at the winged woman in front of him.

"2200 hours. Tune in there. And Hawkgirl...this conversation never happened." He spoke with his trademark rough voice, all traces of Bruce and his beautiful blue eyes gone.

Shayera expected her blood to run cold, or her hands to shake. But instead, she peered into the blank white lenses with a steady gaze.

"No Batman, nothing happened here. Nothing at all." He acknowledged her with a nod and left the room.

* * *

*_May your bosses one day be redeemed / And may humility one day be restored to pride / And may you one day be recognized as equal to the others. / One day it will come to pass. - The Girl _- Lila Downs

*All Portuguese translations:

_Olå. Como você está? - _Hello, how are you?  
_vazio - _empty  
_Senhorita - _Ms., Miss  
_Obrigada - _Thank you, said by a female  
_de nada - _You're welcome


	2. La Magia de Un Beso

_*La Magia de Un Beso - The Magic of a Kiss_

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_Love, Tears, Heartaches & Devotion (Instrumental)_ - B-Tribe - iFiesta Fatal!

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_"I'll meet you in the cave later? Good, I can't wait. I'll see you then. I love you." _  
_"I love you, too."_  
_-Two Days, Chapter 4: Trinity - Friday Morning_

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Bruce doesn't pace. He's usually moving towards something: a goal, a piece of information, even towards an enemy. Pacing is an unnecessary movement that wastes energy. Yet, he found himself pacing around his cave headquarters; more specifically, in front of the transporter pad.

He knew he was early. Diana wasn't supposed to transport down until 1900 hours. It was 1830 hours, and she had half an hour left until she was late. Not that she ever was; as royalty and an international ambassador, she knew how important it was to keep schedules for propriety and appearance sake. But there were other factors that could play into her not showing up on time.

An emergency mission could come up, negating their plans and calling them into action. A call from her embassy could have her detouring to New York City to take care of some business. A message from her mother's palace could summon her back home, where she would be out of contact, possibly for days.

She could have changed her mind and had second thoughts about being with him.

_Pace...pace...pace...pace..._

Bruce tapped his communicator in his hand while walking a rut into the cave floor. He needed to talk to someone, but didn't want to bother Alfred over his personal life. He hadn't told his father figure about his relationship with Diana yet. No one knew except for the senior League members. He wanted to keep it that way for a little while.

He and Diana just told Clark about their relationship this morning, finally giving the poor, clueless hero a chance to know what was going on around him. Bruce almost didn't want to tell him, but he followed Diana's lead and they confessed together. He had to admit, the whole episode was quite amusing. He'll never forget the look on Clark's face when he kissed Diana in front of him.

Now he was calling upon his friend for a bit of moral support. "Friend"...that's a word he didn't use lightly. But even though he felt Clark used that word a little too easily, Bruce didn't deny that's what the Kryptonian was. And as friends are wont to do, he was supporting and annoying Bruce at the same time.

"Seriously Clark, I know you're on the 'Tower. It just takes a quick second for you to get around the station. Its not like you're traveling from Metropolis," Bruce muttered to himself while reading the texts received from Superman. He asked him to go to the transporter room so he could make sure Diana's arrival to the cave was kept secret. He had to check in three times until he received confirmation Clark had made it there.

"Good, good," Bruce nodded to himself. He continued to tap the communicator in his palm. Another thought came to him...

::Great, thanks. Did you see her?:: If Clark saw her along the way, then she could be on her way there. Or having second thoughts. Maybe he could get Clark to make sure she's coming.

_Text...text...text...text..._

::BRUCE! STOP IT!:: Bruce held the communicator away from him, indignant at Clark's attitude.

::Did you just yell at me?::

::If you don't stop, I'll keep her here. Away from you!::

"Oh, you didn't just say that to me." Bruce tapped furiously away, as if it was the communicator's fault that he was getting grief from his friend...

::Don't you dare. Have kryptonite. Will use it:: _Chime!_

::That threat is losing its power. Find another one::

"Oh really? Alright, how do you like this..."

::Okay. I'll tell Lois you didn't know about Di and me:: _Chime!_

::You're a mean bastard, you know that?::

Bruce chuckled to himself. If anyone else had heard him, they would have thought evil incarnate inhabited in the cave. Or more accurately, evil's archenemy.

::Gotta use what I have:: "Just another tool on the utility belt."

The levity of the moment sobered, and another thought invaded Bruce's mind. He really didn't like revealing his feelings to anyone, let alone someone who could use his weaknesses against him. But he needed assurance. He needed a friend. Typing a text...

:I'm nervous, C. What if I mess this up?:: A few more seconds passed, longer than the texts before. What was Clark thinking? Was Bruce about to get a lecture? _Chime!_

::She loves you, very much. You'd have to be a complete idiot to mess it up::

Bruce paused at that message. "What the hell, you ass! Watch if I come back to you for support." Texting back...

::Thanks. I think:: _Pace...pace...pace...text_ ::Is she there yet?:: _Chime!_

::Yes, she just got here. And she's more beautiful than you've ever seen her:: Bruce's heart leaped in his chest. _She's there! She's actually coming! Hey...Clark got to see her first? Not fair! _It disturbed Bruce to feel his heart beating faster. His hand was having a hard time holding the communicator steady. Concentrating on the simple movement, he typed back...

::Hope she knows how to perform CPR. Might need it::

::Gonna talk to her for a sec. Don't die yet::

"What!? Oh, come on. Now you're making me wait on purpose." _TYPE...TYPE...TYPE..._

::HURRY UP!:: Bruce put the communicator back in his pocket. He hoped that Clark would have mercy and keep his conversation brief. He wasn't exactly known for short speeches. He sat down on the bottom step to the transporter platform to wait.

He felt the transporter activate before it started to light up. Bruce jumped to his feet, turning towards the noise above him. He braced himself on the stair, handrails on either side of him, a foot on a step above the ground like he was ready to run up to the platform itself. He waited as the energy coalesced into a familiar, curvaceous figure.

It was like watching Aphrodite herself emerging from a heavenly light.

He stopped breathing when he saw Diana standing there, getting accustomed to her abrupt change in surroundings. She looked around the cave, as if searching for something. Then she looked down, straight into his eyes...and smiled. _Heart, don't give out on me now._

He finally remembered to breathe; the dizziness he felt reminded him of his body's need for oxygen. He opened his mouth to greet his princess when she put a shushing finger to her lips. He blinked at her in confusion, but did as she ordered. She slowly started descending the steps towards him, delicately placing a foot on the metal stair below her.

She moved so slowly, so sensually, that he took the time to really study her appearance. Her dark hair flowed freely, framing her face and falling around her shoulders, unhindered by her tiara. Three thin red straps adorned each shoulder, attached to a well-fitted bodice filled with her perfect breasts. She didn't need jewelry to complement her flawless skin. Only her magic bracelets and a shimmery silver shawl contrasted her alabaster arms.

She took another step down from the transporter.

The dress hugged her curves in all the right places. He loved that color red on her, and couldn't help imagine the smoothness of her skin underneath it. The fabric clung to her figure until it reached her hips, where the skirt flared over the inviting swell. The cloth fell in gentle waves down to an inch above her knees. He knew what her skin felt like there; he'd touched it before. Not seeing it made him want to explore the area again.

She stepped closer to him, two more stairs to go.

He dipped his sight lower and found that he wanted to kneel down to her. That's what you're supposed to do for royalty, right? Or to a goddess? He realized that he rarely ever saw her without her knee-high boots. In this outfit, her strong, round calves were in full view. He wanted to touch them, see if she was ticklish there. Right behind the knee...

Step. Closer.

His head was now fully bowed to her. It was a movement of deference to her divinity, to her perfection...

She had beautiful feet. It was like she showed up almost nude, only a small bit of fabric covering her delicate parts. Each foot was encased in a barely there strappy silver sandal, enough to give each appendage a lift and cover the sole. Sculpted ankles curved down to a gracefully rounded heel, which dipped into the inviting nook of the arch, lifting around the ball of her foot and ending in perfectly proportioned toes...

Bruce never thought he had a foot fetish. There was always time to start. Now would be good.

He realized that she had stopped descending the stairs. She stood on the step above the floor, putting her on equal height with him. She placed a finger under his chin to lift his eyes back towards hers. Feet...calves...knees...covered thighs...hips...small waist...ample breasts...long alabaster neck...luscious red lips. Sparkling blue eyes, glancing down to his mouth...

He reached for the kiss just as she leaned into him. He could have sworn he already kissed her that day, but he already missed the feel of her lips on his. He had to close his eyes – if he tried concentrating on the sight before him, he would collapse from sensory overload.

Her greeting continued as she invited him to deepen the kiss. The slight parting of her lips was the only indication he needed that he was allowed to taste her. He wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her closer to him, the other arm holding onto the stair rail beside them. She touched her fingertips to his face, tilting her head to allow for an even deeper kiss.

He really didn't want to start devouring her right there. He wanted to show that he could actually control his reaction to her, and didn't need inconvenient interruptions to stop him from making love to her every time they kissed. He was Batman, he had dominion over every aspect of his life...

Except he wasn't in uniform now. He had dressed for dancing, and his dress shirt and slacks were a lot more pliable than the armor he had worn during each one of their encounters. He could feel her every curve pressed up against his body, her softness contrasting against his hardness. _Come on, Bruce. Do...not...push her down onto the stairs..._

His knees buckled ever so slightly, his body at war with his mind. It didn't help that the movement pulled the goddess in his arms more firmly against him. He could really feel her now.

_STAND UP, MAN!_

Reluctantly, he pulled away from Diana's embrace, just enough to break the kiss and put some space between their bodies. He opened his eyes to see Diana looking into his face, a tender expression radiating from her. Her lips parted into a smile.

"Hi," she whispered. Her smile grew into a grin as she studied his face.

"Hello," he answered. "I think that was the best greeting I've ever received."

"Mmmm...going to have to try harder then. I was going for a full body ravishing here." His eyes widened at her statement. _And I stopped from taking her on the stairs because..._

"You're teasing me again, aren't you?"

"Yes, I am. You better get used to it, too. I love your reactions."

"You better watch it, Princess. You're going to push me too far, and I'm going to take you up on one of your offers. Remember, I've done it before." She answered him with a self-satisfied smirk. _Oh, you want to play it that way?_

"Or how about I start teasing you back. I wonder how you would like that." Pulling her back close to him, he made to lean in to kiss her. But when she moved to meet him in the middle, he pulled his head away from her. She dodged in again, he moved away. A delicate line appeared between her brows.

He leaned down to kiss her along her neck. She lifted her chin to give him better access. He brushed her skin, but stopped the contact letting only his breath caress her ear. He allowed his hand to travel down her hips, but moved away when she tried to press up against him. Was that a slight growl coming from her throat?

_You're going to love this one, Princess. _He reached down to her leg, just above her knee. Curling his fingers, he lightly scratched his nails upwards. He could feel small goose bumps raising on her skin. He angled his hand to travel up her inner thigh. He slowed the movement, watching her reaction. Her eyes were half lidded, the pupils dilated with desire. Her breath was coming in gasps, her lips parted. He inched his fingers higher, caressing the delicate skin at the top of her leg with just his fingertips. Just a little higher and he would touch her in a very intimate place indeed...

He gave her a quick kiss on the cheek, set her on her feet and walked away. He turned so he could regain control himself, having been affected by the teasing himself. Sure he had his body and smile under wraps, he turned back to her to inspect his work. Diana stood there, breathing hard, looking like she was about to pounce on him.

"How are you feeling, Princess? I'm feeling great. I am sort of hungry, though. You ready to go?"

"That...was wrong, Bruce." Her cheeks were red, and she looked very frustrated.

"Are you okay? You need something? Maybe a bolt of lightning?"

"Argh, Bruce! Don't te..."

"What was that? I didn't quite get what you said." Her pout was adorable, making him walk carefully up to her. He crossed his arms over his chest, daring her to say it.

"I said, don't tease me. Okay, I won't do it anymore." She lowered her head in embarrassment. "By the way, you look very handsome. I always liked this dark blue on you." She walked up, adjusting the collar on his midnight blue button down shirt, smoothing away the wrinkles as an excuse to run her hands across his broad chest. "And are those the slacks from your charcoal suit?"

"Yes, they are." He reached out and brought her into a hug, forgiving her for being the tease that she is. She really couldn't help it; she tempts him just by breathing.

"Nice. Hmmm...you smell so good let me go or I'm going to jump you right now!" He opened his arms and let her step away from him. He felt a degree of satisfaction that he could affect her the same way she affects him.

"First things first, Princess. We need to get going or we'll never leave the cave. And as much as I would like to explore the different ways we can ravish each other here," he glanced suggestively around the subterranean headquarters, pausing on the Batmobile for a few seconds longer, "I think we need to have a proper night out first."

"Right," she confirmed. She ran her fingers through her hair to shake off the tension. "So, how are we doing this? You said that you had something that will make sure we had a great night. Unless you can disguise us, I don't know how you're going to pull that off."

"Well, it works kind of like that, and it doesn't."

"You've been hanging around the Riddler too long. What exactly does that mean?"

"Ha, funny. Anyway, the night of the derecho, I paid our friend Zatanna a visit. She offered me a favor if we ever actually got together. Seems she's a romantic and a sucker for a good song." Diana smiled his mention of the song he sang for her. She didn't realize he had such a great voice. She'd need to get him to do it again sometime.

"You must have really wanted to go out with me. I thought you didn't like magic."

"I don't trust magic. It gives some of the wrong people too much power. And it has a way of turning around and biting you back. But in this case, I'm a little more motivated to use it than usual."

"Don't worry, Zatanna likes you. I'm sure what ever she gave you has all the right intentions. So, what did you get from her?"

"I asked her for something that would disguise us so we could go out into public without being bombarded by press or recognized by our enemies. She said that with glamours, there was always a chance that it would break down and reveal who we are. She said that lies and half-truths were hard to maintain, so they were moderately useful spells at best. She did, though, have a better suggestion."

Bruce reached into his pocket and brought out two silver charms attached to spider web-thin silver chains. He handed one to her, and kept the other. Diana inspected the charm closer, finding a blood-red opal imbedded in the middle. She moved to put it around her neck when he reached out and stopped her.

"Not quite yet. There's a specific way we have to do this. Zee prepared the spell and had me memorize it so I could activate it when it was time. She wanted the spell cast at the moment it was needed so the power would rebound back stronger, giving it more strength. I think she just wants to hold it over my head that she made me cast it."

"And what kind of spell is this exactly?"

"An ultra-truth spell. She figured that by uncovering the most secret parts of ourselves, the parts we keep hidden, those who think they know us wouldn't recognize us. So those who think they know me only really know the billionaire or the playboy, or even Batman. But what they can't see is who I really am. Just Bruce."

"And for me that would be like expecting to see the Princess, or the ambassador, or Wonder Woman. But truthfully, I'm just Diana."

"Exactly." He reached out to push her hair away from her shoulders, as if all he ever saw was just Diana.

"So how do we activate this spell?"

"First we have to place the charms around each other's necks. That way, we indicate who we want to share the spell with. Just in case any untruths hide us from each other." He reached over to place the charm around her neck, moving her hair out from under the chain. Then he ducked down for her to hang her charm around him. She adjusted the charm on his chest, placing her hand over his heart. A subtle glimmer of light appeared in the middle of each opal.

"Then while holding the charms together between us, we have to tell a secret that we've held from each other, something we haven't revealed before."

"Are you sure? That seems to be a lot to ask for a simple spell. I know you hold your privacy close to you…"

"No mask, no cowl – I don't want to hold anything back from you anymore. Are you comfortable with this?"

"Yes. I've been ready to share my heart with you for a while now."

Bruce took Diana's hand into his own, holding the charms in his palm. He took a breath and closed his eyes.

"I was afraid of loving you because I knew I was going to grow old and die, while you would be forever youthful. I couldn't stand it if I had to watch you leave me for someone younger, or worse, for Clark." He opened his eyes but had a hard time looking at Diana. He felt her touch his cheek, and he looked into her face. He was startled to see a tear run down her cheek.

"I am willing to give up my immortality, my power, and my youth to stay with you. You won't have to watch me leave for anyone." He took their entwined hands and kissed her fingers. When he opened his hand, they found that the opals have lightened in color; Bruce's to violet, Diana's to lavender.

"Seems we have something to talk about later, huh?" He wiped the tear from her cheek.

Diana smiled at Bruce's observation. "Seems that way. Okay, what do we do next?"

"Zee said that magic often happened in threes. There's us, and then there had to be a third person, related to us in some way. I had to help that person reveal a truth about themselves. Something they kept hidden very well and hope to keep secret for good."

Diana immediately thought of a specific mutual friend. "What did you get Kal to show?"

"Hmmm...thought you'd think it was him. But no, the man's an open book; he doesn't have too many things hidden that we don't already know about. But there is someone we both had dealings with that holds many secrets close to her chest."

At the mention of a "her", Diana knew who he was talking about. "Shayera." His nod confirmed her statement. Their opals lightened in color even more. "What did she say?"

"This was an absolute surprise to me. Seems she was following my civilian life as a way of checking up on the League. She derived from my actions how well the Watchtower was taken care of, if the senior leaguers were kept safe, and even our relationship status, or lack thereof. It was a very thorough and subtle way of taking care of her homesickness. She missed us."

"That's really sweet, in a stalkerish kind of way." Diana resisted the urge to rub her bracelets. The feathers hidden within were another indication of what they meant to Shayera.

"Tell me about it. She told me she liked the way I dressed." He left out the part about how she knew he used his playboy tactics on Diana, the same he used on his dates. "I also helped her see that she was prosecuting herself for her people's actions, something she really didn't have much control over. I told her it was okay to let it go."

"Wow, Bruce. You just forgave her for her part in nearly getting you killed. That's some pretty powerful karma."

"It didn't seem right to use her for this spell with that hanging over our heads. She did help us get together. I'm fine with that trade-off. I thought she needed to know that we trusted her now."

"This seems to be building into quite the powerful spell. Why are you blushing, Bruce?" She was angling her head to catch his eyes, but he kept moving out of sight.

"I, um, also had to share something secret about all three of us. Something that we shared and kept close to ourselves, a common bond as she says." Diana thought about what they all might have shared recently. Understanding dawned on her face.

"You told Zee about the body shot dare, didn't you." He ducked his head onto her shoulder to hide his embarrassment. His nod was lost in her hair. "Couldn't find anything else to tell her, could you?" He shook his head. The opals were almost pearlescent by now. She laughed, more over his reaction than at the secret he told. "How much did you tell her?" She watched his neck become even redder. "That much, huh? What did Zatanna do?"

"She laughed so hard, that stupid hat of hers fell off her head." He raised his head off Diana's shoulders, the blush on his cheeks only then starting to subside. "Though she said that it gave her a good sign on what the catalyst for the spell should be. It's what would bind all the elements of the magic together into one single truth.

"Don't laugh at me as I recite this. I had to repeat it numerous times before I could say it without stumbling." He pulled Diana into his arms, and looked directly into her eyes. She was caught in the intensity of his gaze, unable to look away if she wanted to.

"_Something sweet and salty, tart and tangy, and entirely magical, this is what I share with you. See me as I am, without saying a word, knowing what I feel for you._" Diana became breathless at his incantation of the spell. It was like Zatanna pulled the spirit of their love out of their hearts and put it to magic. She knew exactly what was needed to complete the spell.

She met his kiss with an eagerness of her own. A tingling sensation tickled her skin, starting from her chest and swirling around them in a whirlwind of energy. If they had been looking, they would have seen a blinding white light, laced with two ribbons of dark and light blue, flow from the charms and spin around them from head to toe. By the time they had parted, their opals glowed like moonlight. Slowly the glimmer subsided, but a small pulse of energy could be felt. Like a heartbeat.

Sapphire eyes met aquamarine eyes. "Wow," Diana breathed. "I definitely could feel something happening. Do you think it worked?"

"Guess we'll find out in a few minutes." Bruce held her a little longer before letting her go. He tucked his opal under his shirt. He could feel the power emanating from the charm. Diana let hers rest upon her chest, now a glittery piece of her outfit. "Now, we have a very difficult and possibly dangerous maneuver to perform. Do you think you're up to it?"

"Whoa! Who thought going out on a date with you would be so risky. What do we have to do?"

"Somehow, we need to travel from this cave to the garage on the top-level without the big boss and his minion knowing we're leaving."

"In other words, we need to avoid Alfred and Tim, right?"

"Exactly."

"Well, it's dinner time so Tim has Alfred well occupied in the kitchen, talking his head off. I think we can use that as distraction on the way out."

"You could be an awesome sidekick."

"Cute, Mr. Wayne. For that, I get to choose which car we ride in." She was eyeing the Batmobile a little too interestedly...

"Oh no. Don't even think about it, Princess. That's not going anywhere tonight."

"I was just looking. Okay, fine, whatever is in the garage upstairs."

"As long as I drive."

"What? Why? I can drive."

"One, my car. Two, I haven't seen you drive. Do you even have a driver's license?" She shrugged. Not a good sign. "And three, I've seen how you pilot a Javelin. No way you're driving."

"Just get moving, Mr. Wayne. I'm getting hungry."

"Yes, your highness. Let's go. Your chariot awaits." He hooked her arm around his in a very gentlemanly way. "You should hear what Zatanna had to tell me to even get the spell to work..."

* * *

_**"Opal is a stone of inspiration, which enhances the imagination and creativity as well. It helps one release inhibitions and enhances the memory. Opal is also said to be a very spiritual stone, and can help one be 'invisible' in situations where they don't care to be noticed. It has been known to bring happy dreams, and also to ease the process of change."** _


	3. El Espíritu de Gotham

_*El Espíritu de Gotham - The Spirit of Gotham_

_Ixtapa (Guitar Duet - Instrumental) - _ Rodrigo y Gabriela

* * *

_"Okay, off with you. You got somewhere better to be than being stuck in here. Go have some fun!"_  
_"Thank you, sister. I'm glad you're back with us." _  
_"And Di? Knock him out."  
Two Days - Traveling - Friday Night_

* * *

Bruce had to admit, Diana had great taste in cars. He was driving a black new model BMW M6 convertible, top down, and enjoying the scenery. As long as he could keep his attention on the road periodically, he was able to watch Diana enjoy the ride. She lifted her chin up into the air, eyes closed, letting her hair flow around her. Every now and then, a slight smile would cross her lips.

"You seem to be enjoying yourself. What are you thinking?" Bruce asked, watching as she opened her eyes at his question.

"I'm thinking how wonderful it feels being out with you right now. I never thought we'd ever get to do this. And I'm imagining that we're flying together, and that you're the one controlling where we're going."

"Ah, but my piloting is on the ground. You've flown in the upper reaches of the stratosphere. I can't compete with that."

"Don't sell yourself short, Bruce. Your presence is what's making this exciting. Besides, one day you're going to let me come with you on patrol and ride in the Batmobile. Now that sounds like a thrill right there!"

"I am, am I? You know Batman doesn't like working with metas. What makes you think you'll be able to partner up with him?"

"Well, if you don't tell him I have divine powers, I might be able to convince him I have great hand-to-hand combat training, I'm awesome with a sword and a bo staff, and I've been working on my investigative skills. I might be of use to him."

"I'll pass on the memo." She turned her head and glared at him. He continued to look out the front window.

"Where are we going, anyways? You haven't exactly been forthcoming with the details."

"Don't you trust me? I think I can plan a great night out fit for a princess."

"Ah, but remember, it's just Diana now. She can be quite demanding herself."

"I think I can please her, too." He reached over and rubbed his hand over her knee, pushing the skirt of her dress up to caress her leg. She took his hand in her own and held it in her lap. She didn't want him getting her riled up, and he needed to keep his eyes on the road. He squeezed her fingers in amusement.

They eventually arrived in center city Gotham. Diana started observing the buildings as they rode through the cavernous streets. The summer sun was still out, coloring the sky with delicate blues and pinks. She knew it was a dangerous city at night, but she could feel a vibrant energy emanating from the people walking along the sidewalks. It reminded her of a bit of New York.

She realized there was something familiar about this particular area of Gotham, but she couldn't put her finger on it. Then she remembered that most of her experience with this city consisted of stakeouts on the rooftops with Batman. She was seeing it in a totally different point of view. Traffic had halted for a red light and Bruce stopped to allow a taxi to merge into the lane.

Diana noticed they were in front of a very exclusive, elegant establishment - The Iceberg Lounge? "Bruce, this area seems familiar. Why is that?"

"What, you don't remember this place? I'm insulted! I come here quite often to reminisce and to visit an old friend of ours."

"We have a friend here? Where?" He pointed upwards to a building top. There she could see a row of gargoyles, one obviously shorter than the other. She gasped and put a hand to her mouth.

"I visit good ol' Headless now and then, asking him if I did the right thing that night. He gives me the same answer every time."

"And what's that?"

"That I was a stupid idiot with all my issues and I was the one who should have lost his head, not him." Diana laughed at Bruce's confession. In a fit of whimsy, she unbuckled her seatbelt, climbed to the top of her seat and held her arms up towards the damaged statuary.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Headless, but he made me do it! It's all his fault!" She started laughing as people stared at her as if she were crazy. Suddenly she felt a hand grab her and yank her down, making her squeak in surprise. She giggled as Bruce pulled her across his seat, taking her as far into his arms as the space would allow him.

"Thanks for that, my dear. Now he'll never let me hear the end of it." She pecked him on the lips before struggling out of his hold. She made sure to give an extra bit of wiggle in his lap before moving back to her seat.

"At least I've confirmed one thing," Diana glanced around their environment in interest. "The spell is working. No one recognized me nor paid any attention to us."

"Hmm…seems that way." Bruce had his communicator out, tapping away on the screen. He raised the tech to a point across the street, pressed a button, and started typing on the letters again. Diana looked over to see that he had taken a picture of a large white truck parked across the street, brightly painted with pictures of balloons, flowers, and animal characters. The line between Bruce's brows indicated that something was out-of-place.

"What are you doing, Bruce. Are you actually working on our date?"

"Hmm? Uh…no. Not actually..." Diana made to grab the offending tech from his hands, but he moved out of the way, still tapping his message. "Isn't it strange to you that truck is here?"

"Why wouldn't it be? It's a party truck. People have parties all the time."

"And you want to partner with me some time. I'm going to have to work with you on that a bit more." Bruce glanced over to see Diana frowning at him. "Um, I mean, that company is a little too casual for this type of establishment. This is a place for exclusive gatherings and dinners, not children's parties. It doesn't belong here. I'm just forwarding this information to my cover tonight."

"Your cover?"

"Nightwing. He's taking over my patrol for the evening. Maybe for the weekend, depending how things go." He smirked slightly at this confession.

"Uh huh. Well first off," she snagged the communicator out of his hand, "I'm going to be the center of your attention tonight. I understand if you have to coordinate some things, but you are not wearing the cowl. You're mine. I'll fight you over this if necessary."

"Feisty! I like that." He made to grab the comm unit back, but she tucked it in towards her body.

"Promise me you won't disappear into your work tonight." He opened his mouth. She put up a finger. "If you want the possibility of this date lasting all weekend, you'll keep the work to a minimum."

"With those terms, who am I to refuse?" He held out his hand for the communicator. She wiggled it in front of him, still out of reach.

"Come get it yourself." Bruce unbuckled his seatbelt, put the car in park, and crawled over to Diana's side. He stretched across her, trying to grab the tech from her hand. She held it out from the car, making him reach even more. Taking the cue, he distracted her with a kiss, then tickling her under her rib. She was having a hard time avoiding his fingers and keeping her arm out the window.

_Honk honk!_ "Whoo hoo! Get her, man! Yeah, gurl, make him work for it!" Bruce and Diana glanced over to the vehicle beside them. A group of young people watched, the girls gazing dreamy-eyed at the sexy couple in the nice car. With her attention diverted, Bruce snatched the communicator from Diana. He countered the aggressive move with a light kiss to her lips.

"Aaaaawww!" the girls sighed. "They are so cute!" They turned to their boyfriends beside them. "Why can't you be that sweet?" The vehicle suddenly erupted in a tangle of outraged voices.

"I think I like this charm. We're just another couple making out in traffic." Diana readjusted her dress that Bruce had subtly lifted up her thigh. "This has to be the longest red light ever. How come nothing's moving?"

"Ah, damn! Sorry about that." He moved back to the driver's seat, reached forward and pushed a button on the car's dashboard. The red light finally turned green. Diana looked over at him in astonishment, her mouth open in surprise. He answered her with a shrug of the shoulder.

"You know the law. No texting and driving at the same time. I just made sure I was texting safely."

"I should know better than to think you have any type of vehicle without special tech installed."

"If you only knew. Though, the only car in our garage that's better fortified than the Batmobile is the limo. Alfred's specs. It's a freakin' tank in chrome!"

"Well, for all the enhancements, can this thing get us to dinner faster? I'm really hungry now."

"Just push that little button above your leg." She smoothed down the skirt of her dress, blushing at his choice of words. He leaned his head down onto the steering wheel at her reaction. "I mean the one on the dashboard." She reached over and pressed the button he indicated. Each light down the street turned green.

"Nice. You're putting this into my car, if I ever get one."

"Let's get you a driver's license first. We'll practice in this car." Her grin lit up brighter than the green lights lining the road.

The car eased forward as traffic started moving again. Diana noticed they were moving away from the fancy establishment. "So I guess we're not going in there?"

"Oh no. Honestly, I don't really enjoy places like that. They're so pretentious, and I tend to have to play the insufferable playboy in that environment. I'd rather stay away from there."

"Hmmm…the plot thickens. Any clues on where we're going then?"

"Actually, I'm thinking of a place a bit more down to earth, but in the sky as well."

"You and your riddles! Am I going to get a straight answer out of you tonight?"

"Maybe." She tapped him on the shoulder in play frustration. "This place is a little more out of the way, but I think reflects the spirit of Gotham better than the elite places most can't experience. I visit every now and then after work, to see if business and the neighborhood are going well. They treat me more genuinely than those places that like to fawn over me...or more accurately, my money."

"This place already sounds nice. Are you sure we needed the truth charms if they're more accepting of you?"

"I still don't want anyone to know we're there. The news of Wonder Woman on a date with Bruce Wayne would spread through the city like wildfire. I'll just have to act as if I don't know them. Which will be hard, they're really nice people."

Diana watched as the cavernous streets opened up to a lower skyline. A few taller buildings dotted the landscape, but the avenues seemed to become more spacious as more sky could be seen. The buildings had the quality of renewal; they were old but classic, and an effort was being given to spruce up the area. Flowers adorned windows, storefronts opened their doors to passing pedestrians, and restaurants offered open air seating.

"This area seems different from the main part of the city. More lived in. Tell me about the people at this place."

"Well, the neighborhood actually wasn't this accessible until about seven years or so ago. Before that, this area was over run with gangs and violence. All the people you see walking about, even during the early evening, would have made sure they were inside by this time. It took Dick and me quite a bit of work to clean it out. There was one particular gang that didn't want to let go of their hold. But as we were doing the dirty work, the area citizens were trying their best to pick up the pieces.

"One particular couple was brave enough to actively help us take out this gang. They caught my attention as I was chasing some of the gang leaders, and pointed to where they had hidden. The husband actually had to hold back his wife; she was livid that they were near her home. She was ready beat them to a bloody pulp. I think it was an act of mercy for me to take them down, not her. Their help made it possible to finally crack the chokehold the gang had on the neighborhood. So imagine my surprise when they approached me a few weeks later at Wayne Tower for financial help.

"They wanted to make a warehouse along the waterfront into something that the neighborhood could enjoy. They didn't have any money, and the banks wouldn't give them any type of loans, so they contacted me with their idea. Of course, they didn't know that I already knew them, but their bravery impressed me even more. It's one thing to help a masked vigilante track down some criminals; it's another to march straight into the building of Gotham's richest citizen and ask for help."

"I can only imagine the reception they would have received at the front desk. How did they even get to see you?"

"They wanted to serve me lunch! And since I was just arriving to the building around Noon, I saw them trying to get past the guard to give it to me. I saved them from getting thrown out, and brought them up to my office and let them give me their pitch. As I was eating their delicious food, they told me how they wanted to open a restaurant that reflected their various heritages; He's Greek, she's Puerto Rican. I had a small bit of experience with the Greek culture" he saw Diana smile, "and I'd been to Puerto Rico before, so I was intrigued."

"To make a long story short, it was one of the best investments I've made. They received the loan they asked for, in exchange they would not only build the business they wanted but they would also lead the area's clean up and renaissance. It hasn't been easy for them, but their tenacity and sheer guts inspired others in the neighborhood to take back their streets. It's not paradise, but it's theirs."

They made their way through an area filled with activity. Various restaurants opened their windows, filling the air with smells of food, music of many different styles and languages, and voices raised in laughter. Diana craned her neck to take in all the sights and sounds, reveling in the neighborhood's energy. She noticed the cobblestone road started rolling upwards, and that they were driving towards a building situated on the crest of the hill.

The building loomed over the neighborhood like a benevolent guard. It was the only structure in that area, Gotham Bay's sun dappled waters peaking from around its corners. The red brick building had been retrofitted with large, clear windows and lined with lights along its classic architecture. From the outside, one could see high, airy ceilings with soft lighting and swirling design features.

Bruce pulled up to the building front, parked, and stepped out of the car. He circled to the other side and helped Diana out of the passenger seat. After handing the keys to the valet and receiving the claim ticket, he hooked his princess' arm around his own and walked towards the glass door.

"_El Club_ _Cielo,_" Diana read out loud, the word printed in an elegant font on the door window. She looked at Bruce for a translation.

"It means 'The Sky Club'. It was one of the pitch points the couple gave me. The restaurant would be on the ground floor, but a special area would be set up on the roof of the building. More like a dancing and dining area. The view will explain it better, you'll see."

The receiving area reflected a mix of modern and traditional design, a blending of Mediterranean and Caribbean influences. A young, slim teenage girl stood at the hostess stand, dressed in a modest but form-fitting blue dress. Her long, black braided hair hung over one shoulder, contrasting nicely with her sun-kissed skin. Warm brown eyes greeted them as she welcomed them to the establishment, her smile accentuating her high-cheeked elfin face.

"_Bienvenidos al Club Cielo.__ ¿Tienen una reserva?" _She delivered the standard greeting brightly, then gave Bruce a curious glance. She switched to speaking English. "Have you been here before? You seem very familiar."

"Uh, no, but I've heard great things about this place. I wanted to check it out with my new girlfriend." Diana perked up when he addressed her as his "girlfriend." Such a silly term...but it meant so much. She squeezed his arm in affection.

"Well, I hope you like it here! It really is the nicest place in the neighborhood. My parents worked hard to make it so. What's your name for the reservation, sir?"

"Prince. Thomas Prince." Bruce fought for a straight face when he gave his name. He could practically feel Diana's astonished stare. The girl glanced down at her reservation book, and nodded when she found his name. She grabbed two menus and motioned them to follow her. "Looks like you got the best table in the house. I'm so excited for you. You're really in for a treat!"

"'Prince', huh? Does that mean if we got married I would be 'Diana Prince'?" Diana whispered in Bruce's ear.

"You'd change your name? I'm surprised. That doesn't sound very Amazonian to me." He wrapped his arm around her waist as they followed the pretty hostess.

"Considering I don't really have a last name, I guess I would have to pick one."

"And do you have one in mind?"

"I'm still figuring that out. I'll let you know when I know." He pinched her above her rear, making her jump. She lightly shoved him to the side. He held her tighter around the waist, bringing her with him.

The hostess, oblivious to the tousling happening behind her, led them to an elevator behind the hostess stand. A group of musicians waited for the next cab to arrive. They watched the trio approach and stood back from the door. "_Hola_, Alicia. Going to the top?"

"_Sí._ We have some new customers joining us tonight. You guys setting up the stage?"

"Yes. Of course, Antonio here has to lug this huge ass bass with us everywhere. It's going to take one trip up by himself to get that thing up there."

"Hey, don't disrespect the bass. Its tradition! My papa played it. Just because we have the electric stuff doesn't mean we can leave the acoustic instruments behind. It sounds better."

"Well, you guys can wait for the next one. This couple goes before you." It looked like the group was about to protest when Alicia hushed them, waving them towards another door with a flip of her hand. "Go through the kitchen if you're impatient. You can take the dumb-waiter if you're in a hurry. Customers first." With a flouncy turn of the head, she claimed the elevator as it opened and ushered the undercover heroes inside.

"_A Dios_. She's as feisty as her mother." The band members nodded their agreement.

The three stood silently as the elevator lifted them to the top floor. Bruce and Diana could see that Alicia was trying not to stare at them. Or more specifically, at Bruce. "_Lo siento, señor, _but you seem so familiar to me. Are you sure we haven't met?"

"Positive. I'd remember a lovely young lady as yourself." He gave a kind smile, letting just a bit of the playboy come through. The girl blushed shyly, ducking her head and glancing away. Diana thought it was cute. The elevator opened with a ringing of a bell, letting its passengers out into a foyer. The design was similar to the greeting area downstairs, but even more airy and inviting.

"If you could wait here, _señorita y señor, _I'll go check to see if your table is ready. We're moving things around so we can set up the dance floor and stage." Alicia hurried away, leaving the couple to study a number of framed photos on the wall. Diana stepped closer, seeing pictures of a handsome couple posing with various celebrities, politicians, and local personalities. The husband had a weathered, but appealing look, and the wife stood proudly beside him. Each picture had them smiling serenely into the camera.

It wasn't until Diana spotted a picture separated from the rest that she let go of Bruce's arm and walked towards the opposite wall. The area was definitely set up as a place of honor, the picture accompanied by a bronze plaque mounted beside it. The photo showed the couple smiling warmly into the camera, their eyes shining brighter than in the other pictures, arms around the shoulders of another person between them. A little girl had her thin arms reaching around the waist of the middle figure, trying to surround him with a hug.

In the center of the family stood Bruce Wayne, a bright smile on his own face. He appeared younger, fewer lines around his eyes. But then, that smile could have erased a full decade from his countenance. He had his hand on the little girl's back, bringing her in closer for the hug. The bronze plaque stated:

"Thank you to Bruce Wayne and Wayne Enterprises for making _El Club Cielo_ possible. It's with his support that we are able to pursue our dreams and bring hope to our neighborhood. You will always be a part of our family. _Con amor, la familia de Demopoulos."_

A pair of warm arms surrounded her from behind as Bruce put his chin on her shoulder. "When I agreed to fund this building, I figured I could use it as a base of operations when watching this particular part of the city. I haven't had to give too much attention here since it was cleaned out, but having a place to go where I could trust the people to keep my civilian presence low-key has helped. They don't know it, but I've installed certain monitoring devices and enhanced the perimeter's security. This is the safest place in the neighborhood, and they've thrived under its protection."

"And in the meantime, they've welcomed you in with open arms. They've adopted you as one of their own."

"Sometimes against my better judgment. But that woman in the picture is a force to be reckoned with. If she had superpowers, she'd be unstoppable!"

Diana studied the picture in amazement. She had no idea that Bruce was so intimately involved with his support. She thought he kept a cool distance from those he donated to, but apparently this was an exception. She gave the little girl another look. She could almost see the young woman in the tiny, smiling face...

"Alicia was eleven years old when that picture was taken. I watched her grow up as I visited to inspect the neighborhood and have dinner here. It was nice seeing her in such a warm, welcoming environment. It almost hurts me to know I'm about to make her life ten times harder in a few weeks."

"What? What has she done? Is she in trouble?"

"Not in the way you think. See some of this artwork along the wall?" Diana glanced around and noticed a number of framed paintings and drawings. They showed a good amount of skill though slightly amateurish. All were brightly colored like their creator's personality. They complemented the welcoming environment well.

"Alicia made those. She would run to my table as I ate dinner and show me her latest creation. As she progressed, she started building a portfolio. Just last year she submitted her application to various art schools. Every one of them accepted her, but the tuition was too expensive. Her parents couldn't support her.

"I found out about it the last time I was here a few months ago. She was depressed and thought she would be stuck as a restaurant worker for the rest of her life. If it were up to her parents, she would stay with them indefinitely. They don't want her to leave."

"Sounds familiar to me. My mother was the same way. I had to basically run away to do what I thought was right. You think Alicia's going to do that?"

"No, she's a good girl." Diana glanced at Bruce, her expression saying '_and I wasn't?' _ He pretended not to see her. "But she's about to get a very generous scholarship from the Martha Wayne Endowment for the Arts. Her future is going to open up in ways she couldn't even imagine. Her challenge will be to convincing her parents to let her go."

"Is that why she thinks she recognizes you?" A frown line appeared between his eyebrows. "Bruce, this is one of the most genuine things I've ever seen you do. This is the real you. I think the charms are letting some of that through. You have to be careful around here. They might not recognize me, but they'll possibly see you."

"As long as I don't interact too closely with them, they won't recognize me. Besides, I'm good at throwing people off my scent. I'm Thomas Prince, just a regular Gothamite with my lovely new girlfriend." They were about to lean into a kiss when Alicia popped up, her braid swinging freely down her back.

"Oops! _Lo siento_. Sorry to interrupt, but your table is ready. This way, _por favor_!" She led them out a set of glass doors, the warm wind greeting them. The young lady stood to the side, very proud of the establishment her parents had built. Diana gasped at the view, understanding why it was named _Cielo_, and why Bruce supported it.

She gazed out across Gotham Bay as the main city twinkled in the twilight horizon. The buildings seemed to compete for height, even Wayne Tower, which stood out from the rest with its iconic "W". She could see the two main bridges connecting the city to the mainland, and a number of boats dotted the water, their lights and water ripples the only indications they were there. They were high enough where the street sounds below disappeared, and the air was cleaner, blowing in the salty bay water scent.

But it was the sky that stole Diana's breath. Clouds billowed across the horizon, golden light beaming through the breaks in cover. She wouldn't have been surprised to see gods using those sunbeams to descend from their palaces. She couldn't even start counting the different colors scattering across the atmosphere. She tried naming them; coral, indigo, cerulean, magenta, violet, terra-cotta...

It was as if Alicia took her paint palette and threw it up into the sky. The colors reflected off the bay waters, making it look like heaven and earth flipped, confused on which was supposed to be on top. The sunset's beauty nearly brought tears to Diana's eyes. She didn't realize she had stopped walking to stare until she could feel Bruce pull her away from the view. His smile said _I knew you would like it_.

Their table sat at the edge of the patio, raised up on a tiled daïs reminiscent of a classic Greek plaza garden. It was definitely designed for privacy and intimacy, two high walls separating it from the public area, but it still had a view. Bruce pulled Diana's chair out for her, only seating himself once she was comfortable. She was still staring out into the bay, a dreamy look in her eyes when he reached over to touch her hand. She jumped in surprise, but recovered quickly, giving his fingers a light squeeze.

"I wanted to show you just how high you've made me feel these past few days, but I didn't think a date in the Batwing would have been appropriate. I hope you like it here."

"You could have flown me in a Javelin to Saturn, and my heart still wouldn't be soaring as high as it is right now. Bruce, this is amazing! I'm so happy that you're sharing this with me."

Diana leaned over the table to gently kiss Bruce on the cheek. He turned into towards her, capturing her lips in a sweet touch of his own. They could feel the heat from the tea candle flickering on the table below them, but ignored it as they continued their silent communication. A tiny cough brought them out of their private world, the couple trying to find where the sound came from.

Peeking from around the corner, Alicia glanced curiously to see if they had stopped kissing. She held two black portfolios in her hand, clutching them to her chest in interest. "_Perdóneme_, but I forgot to give you the menus. I'll just leave these. Someone will be by to take your orders soon. I'll make sure they make noise on the way here." With her bold pronouncement, she sauntered back towards the elevator.

"Hmmm...I'm going to call her out on that the next time I see her. I don't think she's as innocent as she lets her parents believe. Seems familiar, doesn't it?" Bruce saw Diana fix her own innocent look on her face.

"I don't know what you're talking about." She opened the menu and started reading the selections. Bruce watched as her eyes squinted at the text, then widened in recognition. She started to smile, then grin at what she read. She quickly looked up at Bruce in excitement.

"As I told you, they served me lunch when they pitched me their idea. The only other food like it I've ever eaten was served at your Mother's palace. Remember, half the business was founded by a Greek."

* * *

Spanish Translations:

_El Club_ _Cielo - The Sky Club  
__Bienvenidos al Club Cielo.__ ¿Tienen una reserva? - _Welcome to the Sky Club. Do you have a reservation?  
_Sí_ - Yes  
_Hola _- Hello  
_A Dios - _Oh, God (as an exclamation like 'goodness!")  
_Lo siento, señor - _I'm sorry, sir  
_señorita y señor - _Miss and Mister  
_Con amor, la familia de Demopoulos - _With Love, the Demopoulos Family  
_por favor - _Please  
_Perdóneme - _Excuse me


	4. El Primer Beso Secreto

___*El Primer Beso Secreto - The Secret First Kiss_

* * *

_Misterioso (Guitar Instrumental) - Incendio_

* * *

_"So, after that, it's taken you this long to actually get together. You only, what, kissed just two days ago?" _  
_"Well, the first real kiss. Our first kiss happened during the Thanagarian invasion. We hid in a restaurant and kissed to help cover our identities."_  
_"Oh, really? That explains why you seemed so mellow when Shayera visited us in your cave. Nothing like locking lips to keep the nerves down, heh Bats?"_  
_"Funny Clark."_  
_-Two Days, Chapter 5 - Trinity; Friday Morning_

* * *

If Bruce had known that all he had to do was feed Diana to make her happy, he might have done it a long time ago. Her ecstatic reaction to the menu resulted in her ordering various dishes for them to share. The restaurant used the small plate method of serving their food, allowing them to sample and share flavors familiar and new. Mediterranean _Mezze_ and Spanish _Tapas_ covered the table, some having better results than others.

At first they had started dinner in their respective places at the table, sitting across from each other. As the food arrived, Diana wanted to share them immediately and found that they were too far apart for her comfort. She scooted her chair around to Bruce's side to sit next to him, their shoulders almost touching at their closeness. The only things separating them were their chair arms.

Bruce found her eagerness refreshing. Most of his dates would have wanted to stay on their sides of the table to have him admire their beauty and sophistication. They would also have ordered only the most expensive, exotic, and unpronounceable dish they could get. Diana stayed away from the richer foods, asking him for suggestions on items she didn't know, choosing others that reminded her of home.

"Mmmm...if you can, suggest to the owners to put in a bench or some pillows to lounge on in this area. Like the way we sat at Mother's palace that one time. That would make this really comfortable." Diana just finished a particularly tasty bite, one that had her closing her eyes to savor the flavor a little longer. Bruce smiled at her reaction and suggestion, admiring how she could derive such pleasure from a simple olive dish.

"That would be an interesting conversation. '_Hola, Señor Demopolous_. Would you consider designing your tables like those in the Amazon Queen's palace? The Princess would love to snuggle while she enjoys her food.'" Diana nearly snorted at his comment. She affected a superior air, regal in its absurdity.

"An Amazon Princess does not 'snuggle.'" She glanced down her nose at her amused date. "We cuddle demurely with grace and style." She lightly placed her head on his shoulder and sighed. Bruce leaned down and kissed her forehead.

"'Snuggle', 'Cuddle' - either one would have had your mother after my head with the closest ax." He picked up another olive and put it to Diana's lips. She accepted the bite with a grin.

"Actually, my mother likes you. She thinks you're adorable."

"Excuse me...what? When did she make this judgment?"

"The last time we were there together, after Kal and Kara left for Smallville and she hosted us in the royal chambers. She actually told me after you left for Gotham. She didn't want give you the idea that you could take certain...liberties with her daughter while on the island. You could, but she didn't want to encourage you."

"But how exactly did she decide that I'm 'adorable'? As far as I could see, she was fine with or without me being there."

"Well, she already knew a good amount about your character. She saw how you tried to help me retain my honor when I was exiled, even when it hurt both of you to watch me walk away in shame. Then she remembered how you didn't give up on Kal when we all thought he was dead. And you stood by my side again when we took over Kara's training, even though Kal didn't think he needed the help. She knew you were a man of steadfast loyalty, even though you tried to seem like you weren't."

"Between you and her, I'm sounding like a shining paragon of virtue instead of a dark symbol of justice. I think I need to work on that."

"There's no reason why you can't be both." She picked up a piece of fried plantain and held it to his mouth. He took the offered bite into his mouth, sucking on her fingers to capture the lingering sweet. She watched as he continued to enjoy her finger, even though she knew all the sugar was gone. She pulled her hand back, giving him a peck on the side of his mouth, which was curled in a mischievous smile.

"So what exactly did she find adorable about me? That's not exactly a word I would think Hippolyta would use."

"Well, that's what she said, verbatim. 'He's adorable, Diana. I can see why you like him, even though he's a man.'"

"Ah, I knew it was too good to be true. All parents find something lacking in their children's intended...wait a minute. She knew you liked me, even then? How?"

"I might have told her at one point or another." Diana evaded his eyes. "What? She's my mother! She can tell just by looking. She called me out on it after attending Kal's 'funeral'. She saw how concerned I was about your lack of conviction that he was gone - a little too concerned over a person who stayed away from his own friend's funeral.

"And she noticed how it wasn't me acting like a grieving woman in love over Superman's apparent death, but Lois. She thought if I was to fall in love with a man, it would have been with him. She could tell I had feelings for someone, but she searched my reactions to find out who that was."

"So even she thought that Apollo Incarnate was better for you than the Dark Knight. I guess most parents would want that for their daughters..."

"Okay, stop. Look at me right now." Diana turned Bruce's head towards her, her fingers gently guiding him by his chin. "Repeat after me - 'Diana is in love with Bruce Wayne, Dark Knight of Gotham, not Clark Kent'."

"What? Oh, come on, I'm not going to say that..."

"Work with me here. Say it."

Bruce rolled his eyes, but relented. "'Diana is in love with Bruce Wayne, Dark Knight of Gotham, not Clark Kent.'" He said this low so no one else would hear him.

"I want you to say that every time you feel the need to compare yourself to Kal, especially when it comes to my affections. He's my friend. I love you. I don't care what opinions others have on that arrangement. Besides, Mother said that she wasn't surprised that I chose you. We both prefer tall, dark, and handsome. I just had the wisdom to take my time to get to know you first. She's still smarting from her last infatuation."

"Nice to know that I compare favorably against Hades. The whole 'lord of darkness' thing is a little too extreme, even for me. So...adorable?"

"You just can't help it when you get going on a subject that you're passionate about. Remember that night she hosted us in her chambers? You two were arguing, going at each other like cats and dogs, no matter what you were talking about. Politics, religion or lack thereof, gender roles, even martial arts styles! I thought it was going to come to blows at some point."

"So did I, as did the royal guard. They were ready to invade the room with swords blazing. How many times did your mother have to dismiss them?"

"I lost count at six. But you two just wouldn't stand down from your opinions! I almost threw water on both of you to cool you down." Diana recalled how both debaters tried to pull her to their side of the argument. After a few too many 'Diana, tell your mother about...' and 'daughter, tell this man we don't...', Diana put her hands over her ears and told them both to leave her out of it!

"I don't see why she was upset. I was making some pretty good points against her assumptions about man's world."

"Bruce, you were quoting Nietzsche against our faith in the gods, making comparisons between Amazonian matriarchal exclusion of men and traditional patriarchal rule over women, and you were citing Sun Tzu against the Amazonian fighting style. You were contrary to everything she said!"

"I thought quoting 'The Art of War' was actually complimenting your fighting style. I still don't see how she thought that was cute."

"Not cute, 'adorable'. And she liked how you weren't afraid to take her on. You were very Amazonian in her eyes. She found it very stimulating, and you gave her a lot to think about. She hates it when people pander to her, even the Themysciran senate. And..."

"And?"

"She thought you were handsome in a chiton, without your mask. I'm surprised you even took it off. Though it's not like she had anyone she could tell your identity to."

"Ah, the dirty truth comes out. Amazon royalty gets off on unmasking dark, handsome crime fighters."

"It's an inherited trait. We like mystery."

"So, if I were to approach your mother about asking her permission to court you..."

"She'd ask why you were asking her and not me. She knows I am of my own mind, and asking her permission would smack of the patriarch's idea of owning a person. But, she would remind you that I was a princess and her daughter, so you would best be careful not to break my heart or she would break you."

"She would say that?"

"Um...she already did...verbatim."

"Good to know."

"Don't worry, you only have one person to impress. So far...not bad."

"A glowing review, indeed." He tried glaring at her, but her kiss on his brow dissipated any type of line forming there. His internal bat was hanging upside down with his wings wrapped around him, fast asleep.

"That night, she said she could see that you loved me, too. That's what really made her accept you."

"How could she tell? That was awhile back. I was still trying my hardest to avoid showing you anything."

"You should know by now that you weren't doing a great job." Bruce lowered his head at her blunt statement. She softened it with a hug around his shoulder. "You can't hide anything that genuine, my love. It's going to come out eventually."

"What gave me away? The way I would ogle you whenever you passed by?"

"No…but Artemis noticed that. She was about to send her spear right through you for looking at me like I was an object."

"Really?"

"Um...really. Well, you weren't that obvious, but she could tell you had eyes only for me. She didn't think you were worthy of me. She hoped I would choose a nice, fierce Amazonian woman. I just chose the male equivalent."

"You're so counter-culture, Diana. What your people must think of you!"

"I'm already the 'baby' of the family. They all remember when I was created. It would be too much like dating my sisters or aunts. But I've exasperated them many times with my rebellious behavior; running away, stealing my mother's armor, bringing men to the island, staying with them in the sky, and now having a relationship with the opposite sex...all I'm missing is a piercing and a tattoo."

"I like bad girls. They're fun to mess with. Looks like I got the best one out of the bunch." The minute he said it, he hoped Diana wouldn't pick up on the subject. He really didn't want to rehash any past relationships, especially history pertaining to a certain cat-like persona.

"Ha, my mother would say you're welcome to me. It just puts the burden of my rebelliousness on you and takes it off her. Looks like you've united together under me. I'm glad to bring the chaos."

"You know, you have a great talent of taking the conversation away from the original question. So...how was your mother able to tell what I felt for you at that time?"

"You wouldn't believe how that talent has gotten me out of trouble through the centuries. There was this one time..."

"Diana. Your mother. Me, in love. How'd she know?"

"Damn. Um, it was when I fell asleep during your arguments...I mean, debates at dinner. I couldn't take it anymore - you were at it for so long, it was like hornets buzzing in my ear. Back and forth, back and forth. Both of you were as bad as you and Kal on a particularly sore subject. I just laid back into the cushions and let you hash it out. After a while, I drifted off."

Bruce remembered watching her from the corner of his eye. While those were royal chambers, they were also family quarters. Diana had fallen asleep there many times over her lifetime. She had also been dressed in a casual, white chiton. He loved seeing her in white. His fingers itched to touch her, but that wouldn't have been wise with her eagle-eyed mother sitting right there - and the two armed guards down the hall.

"The last thing I remember was you telling her not to knock it until she tried it. I still don't know what that was pertaining to."

"Good. That'll be one thing we can hold over your head."

"Mother said she wanted to get me a blanket so you two could continue talking. She used to do that when I was little, and I've woken up so many times there with something covering me. Do you remember what you did when you though she was gone?"

"She saw that?" His voice lowered in remembrance of what had happened. His soft smile told Diana he knew exactly what she was talking about.

"Mmm hmm. And I thought Morpheus had sent me a really good dream, until Mother told me otherwise after you left."

"So, when we told Clark that our first real kiss happened two days ago..."

"We both knew that wasn't true, you just didn't know I knew. I felt you brush my hair out of my eyes, and it woke me up a little. I thought I was dreaming and I remember thinking that you were so handsome. I wasn't used to seeing you without the mask." Bruce mimicked the action he thought was a secret. She closed her eyes, remembering an almost dream and leaned into his caress. "You know what happened next."

"Yes, I do. If you hadn't reached for me, I might not have done it. But you were so beautiful, I couldn't resist." Diana wrapped her arms around his neck, like she did then.

"Like I gave you any choice."

Now he agreed with Diana that there should be cushions in this private little corner, that way he could kiss her now as he had then. She had pulled him down onto her, and he hadn't hesitated. It had been a quick but passionate kiss, unlike the one they shared now, which lingered in its slowness. Then, he heard Queen Hippolyta returning to the room and he disengaged Diana's arms from around him, putting distance between himself and the queen's daughter. Now, they parted only because they knew they could do more later.

"Did that actually count as our first kiss?" Diana asked, looking back into Bruce's eyes. "I wasn't exactly fully awake."

"Hmmm…you were the one who initiated it. Did you mean it?" He leaned in to brush his lips against hers.

"Yes, I did." She answered with a touch of her own.

"Do you remember feeling it?" He almost didn't get the full question out as she kissed him again.

"I not only remember feeling it, I remember your touch, your taste, the feel of your body on mine. It was almost too real." The chitons they had worn were made of thin fabric. They both recalled that, too, and how it allowed them to feel just how physically fit they each were.

"Did you want more?" he murmured. She answered with a full kiss, deep with the yearning she felt then and now.

"Yes, I want more." She whispered back. He closed his eyes to her desire, his own need threatening to overwhelm him. He wanted more, too.

"Then it counted as our first kiss."

She smiled at his pronouncement. "I like your definition of our first kiss. Meaning, feeling, wanting…I can relate to that now."

"I dreamed of you so many times after that. Nearly drove me crazy, I couldn't sleep for days," Bruce confessed.

"Hmmm...we're going to make sure those aren't just dreams next time, aren't we?"

"Ah, Diana...you tease me without even knowing that you are."

"No tease. It's a promise." The gaze between them started heating up again, then they looked away. They were getting better at controlling their urges...a little. Diana cleared her throat to continue her story.

"Anyways, Mother told me she had returned fairly quickly with the blanket and saw us, um, together. She was about to storm in, but then she noticed that we seemed more than engaged. She could see what you felt for me, and that I was acting on my own wishes. What could she say when two people felt that strongly for each other? What mother wouldn't want that for her daughter? She's a queen, but she's human, too.

"Mother said she hadn't felt so flustered in centuries. She wanted to give us a chance to get out of the situation without embarrassment, so she pretended like she was just approaching, making as much noise as she could. She even dropped the blanket on purpose to give us more time."

"You were still asleep, or seemed to be when I sat up. You curled back into the pillows with this soft smile on your face. Your mother came in and threw the blanket at me, saying that she couldn't reach you to cover you properly. When I put the blanket over you, you snuggled...I mean cuddled demurely, into them." Bruce smiled at the memory of a cozy Diana.

"Mother did that on purpose. She wanted to see how you would handle the offer to touch me again. You laid the blanket on me, keeping a respectful distance. But your eyes told her everything. She recognized the love there. It was then she accepted you."

Bruce suddenly felt a surge of power emanate from the charm hidden in his shirt. Diana jumped as hers did the same. They pulled the chains out to view what was going on. It was fortunate they had this private cove within the restaurant; it would have been difficult explaining why they were wearing platinum glowing charms.

"What just happened?" Diana asked.

"I think we just exposed another ultra-truth. Not quite sure how this will affect us, and your mother!" Bruce looked a little too pleased with this possibility.

"You two are going to be trouble, I know it." The opal pulsed. "I'm just going to stop speaking now."

Before they could continue the conversation, the sound of a rhythmic bass drifted over to their area. A beat tapped out on a drum, weaving around the low tones. The sound seemed to come and go, and they could hear a voice testing the microphone. First there was a feminine voice, then a male voice tested another mic.

"Sounds like Antonio finally got his bass up to the top floor." Bruce tucked the charm back into his shirt. He looked back to Diana, who seemed...nervous? She fiddled with her dress, and had tucked her hair behind her ear. "Are you okay, Diana?"

"Hm? Um, sure! It's just..." She closed her eyes and took a breath. "I've never really danced before."

"What? But you seemed to know what you were doing in Paris."

"What would you think of me if I told you...I cheated." She peeked up to see Bruce staring at her in astonishment.

"Care to explain that, Princess?" He leaned over, folding his arms onto the table. She couldn't get a bead on his expression. Was that amusement?

"We don't have partner dances in Themyscira. What I know is what I've seen on TV or in movies, and they look so complicated. When you asked me to dance in Paris, I was just happy you rescued me from the Paparazzi. But when we actually started dancing, I was clueless!"

"So how did you keep up with me?"

"I was floating...and I faked it. My dress was long, so you couldn't see my feet. You did everything, I just followed." Bruce covered his mouth with his hand, but failed to hide his smile. His eyes twinkled as he held in his mirth. "Say something, Bruce. You're making me nervous."

"The...lies! My entire image of you that night has been totally shot!" He put a hand to his chest in outrage and bowed his head, his body shaking from badly hidden laughter. Diana folded her arms across her chest, looking away in embarrassment.

"This isn't going well for you, Bruce. I don't like being laughed at."

"I'm sorry, Princess. I'm not laughing at you...um...no, I'm really not laughing at you. Hold on, let me just catch my breath." He took a sip of the mango iced tea he had nursed throughout dinner. He had to wipe his eyes, the tears from withholding his amusement threatening to run down his cheeks. Coughing to clear his throat, he took Diana's hands, pulling them away from her guarded position across her chest.

"All these years, you wanted to dance with me and you didn't even know how? I think you've just earned the title 'adorable', my dear princess."

"I didn't know you were going to choose Latin dancing for our first date! I thought it would be just a simple sway, something slow."

"I was working on faulty information!" Diana slumped in her chair. Bruce wrapped his arm around her shoulder, comforting her while trying not to chuckle at her cute pout.

"This...this is just so...passionate and fast! Where do I even start?"

"Luckily for you, there is an answer to this dilemma. But I just have to get one thing off my chest, and I'll never mention it again."

"What?"

"All this time, I wondered why it seemed you were taller than me. Now, the mystery has been solved. Thank you for putting my mind at rest."

"Ha...ha."

"Okay, so...there is usually a time where people can come in for lessons. Those who have dined here are welcome to join. I think you can get a one-on-one lesson from the best teacher here. I'll just have to figure out a way to ask her without blowing my cover."

"Who is this that can teach me?"

"Rosa Demopoulos, the Puerto Rican half of the establishment. She actually gave me a few pointers through the years. She's really good, and she'll put you at ease."

"Are you sure? I heard she's feisty."

"Then you and she should get along fine. She has a special place in her heart for teaching women how to express themselves on the dance floor. And I get to watch as she shows you how."

"I'm sure you're going to enjoy that, too."

"Oh, yes. If Rosita's going to teach you the way I think, this is going to be very nice to watch, indeed."


	5. El Primer Baile

_*El Primer Baile - The First Dance_

* * *

*_La tierra te duele / La tierra te da / En medio del alma, cuando tu no estas / La tierra te empuja de raíz y cal / La tierra suspira si no te ve más / La tierra donde naciste no / La puedes olvidar, / Porque tiene tus raíces y lo que dejas atrás - Mi Tierra - Gloria Estefan_

* * *

"_...but there was the time in Paris. Right before the Kasnians interrupted, we were having quite the nice dance. You were so beautiful that night."  
__"You were quite dashing yourself in your tuxedo. Saved me again, except that time from the evil clutches of the paparazzi. You're always there for me, aren't you?"  
__"I try."  
__"Wait a minute. You danced with her out of uniform? And she recognized you?"  
__- Two Days, Chapter 5 - Trinity - Friday Morning_

* * *

After paying for dinner, Bruce led Diana to the dance floor. Or more accurately, dragged her there. And when one is trying to force a hesitant, super strong meta human to walk, one has to have some special strengths of their own to get her to move. For Bruce, it was a combination of playboy ultra smooth coaxing, Batman's ability to use voice commands, and Just Bruce's loving arms around her waist, comforting her that it would be okay and she'll get it right.

He was exhausted by the time they got there. And that was just getting her to cross the room.

There were already a few couples on the dance floor practicing their moves, ranging in age, nationality, and dress. Some were semi casual in their pressed jeans and short skirts, others a bit more put together in their stylish suit jackets and cocktail dresses. Bruce and Diana were among the best-looking couples, and they were getting some admiring glances. One figure moved around the dance floor, inspecting the dancing couples and giving pointers as she passed.

"_Hola_, you'll want to loosen up on her hand. You're squeezing her too hard. If you hold her lightly, you can move quicker, smoother. There you go, _¡muy bien!_ _Mi cariño, _next time, wear heels that you can actually dance in. Here, take your shoes off, try that. _¡Oye! _What do you call that! That's not salsa! There's a different club for that down the street. We don't dance like that until after ten o'clock."

Bruce affectionately watched Rosita rule over her domain. She was like a habañero pepper that you didn't realize was in your food - you just had to endure. Her slim, sinewy build made her appear strong, even though she was slightly shorter than some of the figures on the floor. Her long hair spilled down her back, a liberal amount of brown streaking through the black spiral strands. Her blue dress hugged her lithe figure, ending at her knees. A subtle cut in the side of the dress showed off an athletic, brown skinned leg.

Bruce remembered the first time he saw her. He had lost a group of gang members in a chase through the neighborhood alleyways. He was trying to find them when he could hear screaming coming from down the street. Worried that someone was being assaulted, he rushed over, shooting a line to another building and climbing to the rooftop. Instead, he found a man holding back Rosita as she yelled Spanish profanities at an abandoned building. He made a slight sound to alert them to his presence; usually this was greeted with fear and amazement that he was truly real.

Rosita abruptly turned and glanced up at him. "Good! There you are. It's about time! These _putas _dare to come near my home? _Mi_ _hija_ is in this house! You better get them or I swear to GOD..." Whatever she was saying next in Spanish definitely wasn't swearing to God. Batman nearly lost his legendary cool demeanor by smiling at her feistiness. Later, when Dick asked what she was saying, he gave the same answer that he gave every time...look it up. He didn't want to be the one teaching such language!

Rosita was also the one who pitched him the restaurant idea at Wayne Tower. Even then, he was taken aback by her passion. She gestured, she stood up and walked around, her speech accelerating as she became excited, unconsciously weaving her words back and forth from Spanish and English. She sat down with a final nod of her head when she concluded her explanation on why the restaurant was good for the neighborhood.

"Would you like some more? It's really good, my husband is a fabulous cook. He has all sorts of ideas for the menu. You should come through and let us cook for you." She motioned towards the food in front of him, Bruce blinking at her sudden change in topic. It was like she had already decided that he was going to fund their ideas. He had to hide his smile again, afraid she would have taken it wrong and start yelling at him. She was feisty with heart. He liked that.

It was all Bruce could do to suggest that maybe he should see the site before he made a decision. Her slap on his desk and readiness to leave then made him sit back in his seat in surprise. It was her husband that reigned her in, allowing Bruce to actually finish the lunch they had prepared for him. Bruce was grateful there was at least one person who could hold back this spitfire. He seemed a quiet man, but he had gained Bruce's upmost respect.

Yet for all her fire, Rosita was also very affectionate and not afraid to show it. As she led her husband, daughter, and Bruce through the neighborhood, she called out to various people, even poking her head into windows to greet to those inside. She held Bruce's hand as she pointed out certain areas of interest in the warehouse, envisioning what could be here, what they could build there, and the classic lines they were going to keep from the original architecture. He couldn't help but be impressed with the ideas. Some R&D scientists could use a lesson from her in enthusiasm.

It was only when they reached the roof that she actually fell silent. Seeing the excitement in her eyes - hoping he saw what she saw - that was when Bruce decided he would fund their project. The roof needed major repair, and bringing the building up to code would be a nightmare. But the view of the city...His City...and the slim spitfire who wanted to make it better, made him realize that there were people that needed help from him in other ways than bringing justice in the dead of night.

As Rosita moved closer to the undercover heroic couple, Bruce wondered how he could get her to give Diana a lesson without him. He realized that Diana's female-only upbringing could hinder her ability to learn a dance that was meant for the two sexes. She needed another woman to show her at least the basics, but Rosita liked to have the couples practice together so they can get to know each other's styles. The buzzing from the communicator in his back pocket gave him the excuse he needed.

He quickly took out the comm and checked to see who it was. ::NW-SITREP:: Bruce noted the time of the transmission. Good, Nightwing was checking in the way he was supposed to. He usually didn't want to, but Bruce had some ammunition that would ensure his son's full cooperation.

Rosita approached the couple with interest. "_Buenas tardes_. I've been watching you two for a little while now. Why aren't you dancing?"

"_Buenas tardes, señora_. I was wondering if you were the one we talked to for a dance lesson. I was told that the lady of the establishment was the best teacher in the neighborhood. Is that true?"

"Eh, no need to lay it on so thick. Yes, I can teach you, and your lady friend. What are your names?"

"I'm Thomas Prince and this is Diana...Wayne." Diana jumped at his introduction. She was already nervous. He wasn't helping by springing this new last name on her.

"Ah, Wayne! Any relation to Bruce Wayne?"

"No. None. Whatsoever." She glared at Bruce, annoyed at the position he had put her in. He stood back, silently enjoying her reactions.

"Ah, well. That's too bad. He's a good person. I would have liked to meet someone else from his family. Anyway, I can teach both of you how to salsa. My name is Rosa Demopoulos, but you can call me Rosita, everyone does. Do you have any experience?"

"I do." Bruce said. "Learned in San Juan on a business trip. But my girlfriend here hasn't had any lessons. There's one problem, though. I just received an important message from my office, and I can't let it go. Possibility of many losses. Would you be able to teach her while I take care of this?"

"_Sí_, I can do that. But only if you promise to put that damned thing away after she's comfortable. You came here to dance with her, not your phone." Diana stood tall by her new ally. Bruce suddenly felt like he was being outnumbered. His plan to check in with Dick to buy Diana some time suddenly seemed like a bad idea.

"_¡Váyase!_ Go on, get your business out of the way." Rosita shooed him away with a wave of the hand. "We have work to do here, too." Bruce felt dejected. It was like his favorite godmother telling him he couldn't stay in the kitchen while she cooked. Not fair. He decided he could take his frustrations out on his communicator. He typed back to Nightwing, asking about the truck he had noticed earlier in the evening.

As he waited for Dick's answer, he started pacing around the room. At least it looked like pacing. Instead, as he watched Rosita talk to Diana, he placed a small transistor pin near one of the speakers from the stage. He felt the communicator vibrate, and looked down to read the text:

::Trk ws f8k. Flwd 4 blx. dsaprd::

::What the hell did you just text me?::

::Kp up OM, txt fstr::

::If you don't start texting in full words, I'll follow through with threat::

::DMN! H8ER!::

::NW, about to send signal to batcave to transmit Flash's pictures::

::FINE! IS THAT BETTER? NOW I HAVE TO STOP AND ENUNCIATE EACH WORD!::

::Stop yelling and tell me what you found::

::Truck was a fake. Followed it for 4 blocks. Disappeared. Trying to track now::

::Any idea what was in it?::

::No, but will find out::

Bruce looked up to see what Diana and Rosita were doing. Rosita had her arms around Diana's waist, hands on the Amazon's hips, leading her through a basic salsa step. Diana still appeared nervous, but not as much as before. She moved stiffly, but followed directions well. Bruce admired how she was trying to do something new right on the spot. _That's my princess. _His comm buzzed again...

::Where are you? What are you doing?::

::Don't worry about it. Send another SitRep in an hour::

::Ah! Hot date, then? Who is she? Do I know her? Is she pretty?::

::Go away, kid.::

::Oh! Getting snappy. I'll find out. You taught me well. Will find you::

::Go get that truck::

::K. CYA!::

Bruce shook his head at his son's antics. It didn't matter how much older he got, Dick never seemed to lose his outlook in life. He's had his share of hard times, but still came out with his spirit mostly intact. He admired that about him.

Glad he was able to put that business away, he continued walking the perimeter of the dance floor. He placed another pin transmitter at another speaker. Straining his head around some of the practicing couples, he saw Rosita had Diana in a basic dancing stance. Rosita, while a few inches shorter than Diana, took the lead and had her hand on his Princess' waist.

It was like watching a present being wrapped and he couldn't open it until Christmas. He noted that Diana was getting into the steps, flowing a little easier, moving to the rhythm a little more naturally. He couldn't wait to take over. He stopped by another speaker, planting another transmitter into a nook in the front fabric.

Maneuvering to the other side of the dance floor, Bruce approached the stage where the musicians played. Some were milling around, still setting up equipment. As he walked towards them, Bruce came closer to the two women. He admired how Diana moved, her dress swaying to the rhythm she danced to. He let his eyes travel the length of her body, watching the play of her muscles on her back, her hips swaying with her steps.

Rosita peered around her student, giving Bruce a nod of the head to scoot him away. Catching the hint, he put his hands in his pockets, trying to appear as nonchalant as possible. Stepping up to the stage, he was able to catch the attention to one of the vocalists. Bruce gestured him over, meeting him at the edge of the stage.

"Do you take requests?" Bruce asked.

"Depends if we know it. You'd be surprised what some people ask us to play. Top twenty isn't our thing."

"How about this one?" Bruce gave him a folded piece of paper. Tucked in the middle was a very generous tip. The musician opened it up, then whistled at the request and hundred dollar bill.

"Yeah, we know this. It's pretty sexy...and a little risky! You got a name for this?"

"That's her name, right there." He pointed to the name written on the paper. He looked up and saw Diana staring at him, wondering what he was up to. Rosita turned her head back to the lesson, putting a hand on Diana's cheek to turn her around.

"Okay, you got it, brah. At this time?"

"Mmm hmm." They shook hands, finalizing the deal. Bruce leaned back onto the stage, folding his arms across his chest to enjoy the view. The musician glanced over to the women dancing.

"The one in red, she's with you?"

"Yes, she is." The musician patted Bruce on the shoulder in congratulations. Bruce smirked at the acknowledged admiration for his woman. He didn't mind one bit.

* * *

After Rosita shooed Bruce away, she gave Diana an appraising look. Starting from her head, she let her gaze travel down to her strappy silver shoes. "_Muy bella_, very beautiful. Are those comfortable for you?"

Diana glanced down at her feet. "They're okay. I'm used to a lot of movement in heels."

"Good. Some women dress for looks, not for dancing. Not that there's anything wrong with looking sexy, but the elegance is in the movement, not the shoe. So, Ms. Wayne. Do you have any type of dancing experience?"

"Call me Diana...please." Diana still got shivers when she heard her modified name. She didn't want to get used to hearing it. Not yet, anyway. "Ah, no. Nothing like this."

"Hmmm. I find that odd." Diana tilted her head in curiousity. "Your body structure shows me that you're very physically fit, even athletically toned. What type of exercises do you do?"

"Um, I practice martial arts and have some combat training in my background." That's about as accurate as she could have described it. Being sculpted from clay and blessed by the gods were a little harder to explain.

"Wow! That's pretty intense. Are you in law enforcement?"

"Something like that."

"Ah, a strong woman! That's good...but that can make things difficult as well." Rosita moved around Diana, putting her hand on her back in a sisterly way, standing hip to hip.

"How so? Being strong is a woman's right. We should all aspire to be that way!"

"Yes, but in this dance, you aren't trying to be strong. You're aiming for smooth and light, and for that, you need to let him lead. This is usually the hardest part for strong women to get used to. Sometimes, they try to lead the men. But it's not a competition, nor is it life. It's just a dance, though it could turn into something else if you let it."

As she spoke, Rosita put her arm around Diana's waist, keeping her body facing forward. She started rocking Diana side to side, in time with the bass line. Because Diana was distracted by thoughts of strength and leading, she didn't notice that she was moving to the music until she felt Rosita squeeze her hip.

"See, I just started leading you to the beat, and you didn't mind one bit. We're past that part, no?"

"Ah, yes, I guess we are!" Diana swayed back and forth with Rosita. _This isn't so hard._

"Good. So, now is the time for the actual steps." _There's more? _"Don't worry about all the fancy stuff you see on TV. That will come with time and practice and, hopefully, a good partner. Now, you're just learning the basics. There's a count you can keep in your head, but after awhile, it will come to you naturally. So watch my feet...one two three...five six seven...one two three...five six seven..."

Diana started the count in her head, realizing the count echoed the bassline Antonio played. She could feel the beat vibrate through the floor, and she couldn't help but match it. She started mirroring Rosita's movements. She tripped a few times, getting mixed up on the beats, but found it again and caught up with her. A few more steps, they were almost totally in sync.

"Yes! You are learning quickly. So now that you have the count down, let's get the dance. Tell me, Diana. Where do you come from?"

"Hmm?" Diana didn't know what that had to do with anything, but she figured it didn't hurt to fib a little. "My family is from the Mediterranean. A small Greek Island, you probably wouldn't have heard about it."

"Ah, _Mediterráneo._ And from Greece! My husband is from there. I thought I was detecting that in you."

"Detecting what?"

"The islands, the sunshine. The Mediterranean and The Caribbean have much in common. That includes a passion that comes from living close to the sea and its changing tides. Or it could just be too much sun gets into our heads, who knows?

"But I can tell you are a woman of great passion. You chose this red to wear, you chose to salsa, and you chose to learn for the one you're with. It may seem difficult now, but by the end of the night, it will be like second nature to you. You're already doing it."

Diana noticed that she had been distracted again during Rosita's pep talk. She was rolling to the beat, not stiffly stepping to the count. She even kept the rhythm when Rosita took her hand out in front of her, turned her ever so slowly, and positioned them into a classic dance posture. Rosita's hand rested on Diana's waist and held her other hand. Naturally, Diana laid her hand on Rosita's shoulders, even though she was shorter than her.

"_Muy bien. _Something tells me your martial arts training is helping you get this. It's about the same, getting accustomed to the katas and strikes, then knowing how to work them naturally. Tell me, do you spar with your date?" Diana blushed at the thought of the last time she and Bruce were in the training room together. It wasn't exactly sparring, but it was passionate. "No, _señorita_, you don't have to answer. Your face gave you away. Hmmm...you two will partner just fine."

"You're very good at this, Rosita. I'm really enjoying myself."

"_¡__Muchas gracias!_ That's exactly what I want to hear. Uh oh, looks like we have a visitor." Diana could see that Bruce had finished his business and was walking back towards them. She started to stiffen up and almost lost the rhythm of her steps. Rosita caught this immediately. "Nope, you're not ready yet. He needs to go away." Peering around Diana, Rosita nodded the admiring man away from them. She also didn't miss the look he had been giving Diana.

"_¡Caray! _That man was staring at you like you were dessert. But don't you worry, he can eat you later. Let's continue, shall we?" Diana was glad she had her back to him, but she wanted to see what he thought of her dancing. She turned to find him at the stage, talking to one of the musicians. Her curiosity peaked when she saw Bruce pass a piece of paper to the man. Just as Bruce noticed she was looking at him, she felt Rosita turn her head away.

"_Hola_, bring it back here, _mi cariño_. You have all night to look at your handsome man. He seems so familiar to me. Are you sure this is your first time here?"

"Most definitely, this is my first time here." At least Diana could answer that truthfully.

"_Bueno_. He's not the only good looking fellow that's passed through here, but you definitely caught yourself a nice one! So, I'm going to teach you how to turn. You're just turning in place, so don't over analyze it in your head, and keep your steps moving to the same rhythm as you are now. I'll indicate when you turn as I step forward, and you step back. Ready? One two three...five six seven..."

Rosita explained so smoothly, Diana didn't have enough time to realize that she was being turned until she had finished the movement. She felt her skirt swoosh around her legs, her hair flow around her shoulders. She nearly lost count in her glee, but then remembered to keep in step. _That was fun!_

"You're a fast learner! One of the fastest that I've seen, actually. You must be a great martial artist, you have good body discipline." Diana nearly laughed at Rosita's description. Her body's actually been betraying her a lot lately.

"I think its because I have a good teacher. And I'm highly motivated."

"Yes, I can see your motivation is eager to get back to you. But, I need to work with you just a little bit more. I want you to loosen up a little bit. You need to flow. If he can lead you well, all you need to do is follow. You're the one that's going to make him look good, so put your passion into the dance. But you have to trust him, too. Don't overanalyze, just let him tell you where to go."

"I think I can do that." She had been given a very strong example yesterday on trusting him. She can apply that to letting him lead her in a dance. _What my sisters would think about this!_

"Good. Would you like a drink? I could get you something, on the house. A shot of tequila does wonders on loosening up the body..."

"No!" A few heads turned her way. Bruce's head was tilted in curiosity at her outburst. "I mean, I don't handle alcohol very well. I'll get too dizzy."

"_Bueno_, it was just a suggestion. I need you to loosen up your hips. Women who didn't grow up around dancing don't move the same as those that did. They try too hard to move their entire body when a subtle movement in one area done correctly is enough. Here, I want you to visualize something. Close your eyes, keep dancing..."

Diana follows her directions, then felt Rosita move behind her, placing her hands on her hips. "I want you to think of your man - and you're on top of him." Diana's snort of laughter accompanied Rosita's. "Nice, yes? So, you're going to make him happy..."

"Or drive him crazy, whatever comes first." Diana couldn't help but think of Kal's statement before she left the Watchtower. She doubted this is what he had in mind.

"You two are trouble for each other, I can tell. But yes, you have the control. You want to please him, but you don't want to hurt him. And with hips like these, darling, you could do some damage. It must be that Greek heritage of yours. Feel where my hands are?" Rosita had her palms resting on Diana's lower back, right at the curve of her hips.

"This is where you want the movement to happen. Keep your upper half still, and pull your hips in a little so they have somewhere to go. And as you move, imagine you have him and you move ever so carefully. Remember, make him happy, but don't hurt him." Diana tried the movement, remembering when she had the chance to do that exact maneuver on Bruce...

"_¡__Oye!_ Not so hard! He won't last and how are you going to get happy, too?" Diana nearly stopped dancing, she was laughing so hard - at Rosita's statement and remembering Bruce's reaction as well. "Keep your eyes closed, dear. Now try that again, _suavemente, _gently. Let the steps tell your hips what to do. Yes...that's it. _Sí_, you're getting it. Very nice. He's very happy.

"Now, we're going to try one more thing. I want you to keep your eyes closed. Put your arms up like you had them when we were dancing together. You're staying loose, letting your hips roll. You don't need to count the steps, they are second nature to you now. We're going to turn ever so slightly..." Rosita led Diana in a slight turn.

Diana felt a warm hand take hers, another hand settled on her hip. They were larger than Rosita's, and very, very familiar. Her surprised gasp brought a beloved scent to her nose, and she nearly lost count again. "No, don't stop! Keep your eyes closed!" Rosita still had her hands on Diana's hips. The two comforting touches calmed Diana's nerves. Then the smaller pair of hands disappeared.

"So, Tomás," Diana liked how Rosita pronounce Bruce's "name" with her accent, "You're going to lead her the way I tell you, _suavemente. _Dance her forward...good. Feel that Ms. Wayne? He indicated where to go, and you didn't mind. Now bring her back...now around. _Muy bella_. And turn..._perfecto_. You can open your eyes now, Diana."

Diana opened her eyes to gaze into Bruce's azure stare. He had a gentle smile on his face, looking very pleased at the position they were in. They were perfectly in step, his hand had pulled her in slightly closer. She liked the way his hand spread across her lower back...

He gently pushed her away, led her into a turn, and pulled her back in. Yes, dancing with him would be very easy to do - with plenty of time and practice. She tilted her head up slightly, signaling what she wanted. He did not disappoint, kissing her softly while still in step...

"_¡__Qué bella! _So romantic! However, I'm not done with you two. Nicholas, _¡__ven aquí, por favor!" _The handsome man Diana noticed in the photos out in foyer trotted away from his conversation at the bar. He was tall, but not as tall as Bruce, slim and fit build, and a distinguished head of silver hair. "Diana, this is my husband, Nicholas Demopoulos. He's going to keep you moving as I test drive your partner. I want to see what he can do."

"Uh, that's okay, I know how to do this..." Bruce seemed slightly panicked at Rosita's suggestion. _No! You can't dance with me!_

"What, are you scared to show me? After what your date had to go through to learn this for you? I just want to make sure I'm handing her off to someone who knows what he's doing. I can help you, too. Hand her over." Just as she had taken over in his office, she moved into Diana's space, letting Nicholas continue the dance.

Diana smiled her greeting to her new partner. She could see fine lines around his eyes, slightly sun-kissed skin, and happiness radiating from his face. "Hello, miss. Don't worry, my wife does this often. I'm glad to help her; this is my way of meeting beautiful women with her permission. Let's see how your young man does, shall we?"

Bruce held Rosita in the basic dance posture. She peered up at him suspiciously, as if she didn't trust that he knew what he was doing. He glanced over at Diana, still dancing with Nicholas. She gave him no sympathy, having been forced onto the dance floor in the first place. Bruce closed his eyes as if making a major decision, sighed in resignation, and pushed Rosita out...

They flowed like water across the dance floor. Bruce held her by her fingertips, lightly leading her from turn, to turn, to travel, step step step... step step step...her arms around him, his turn around her, passing her hand around his back, turning both of them back together, holding her out at arms length...

"Ah! So you let your partner shine! Diana, when he does this, he's telling you to show off a little. This is a little advanced but you can tease him a little with this one. Let those hips of yours move for him. Show him what he could get later." Rosita took the hint and soloed a few steps for Bruce, then let him pull her back into the dance. Bruce twirled her a few more times with some fast spins...

"_¡__Y Cambia!_ At this, Nicholas suddenly spun Diana, pushed her away to change partners, into Bruce's arms. Rosita turn towards her husband, already perfectly in step. Bruce held Diana, spinning her around a few times to let her get accustomed to the sudden change. Setting her on her feet, he let Diana find the rhythm before falling into step with her. The grin on her face was priceless.

"And that's your first salsa lesson, Ms. Wayne. I'll be around to give some pointers, but you two should come back for more. I can help you get even better. Isn't that right Mr. Wa...I mean Señor Prince."

"_Sí_, Rosita. We can." He quickly turned Diana away and led her to a different part of the dance floor. Diana glanced back to see the Demopoulos' dancing easily together. She hoped that she and Bruce moved that smoothly one day.

"Dancing with her blew your cover, didn't it?"

"Damn it, I think it did. She's the one who really taught me how to salsa. She knows my moves in and out. I don't think I fooled her one bit."

"Do you mind that that? She's got to know something's up since she didn't recognize you at first. And the name you gave me!" She lightly hit him on the shoulder.

They both glanced back at the lovely Puerto Rican spitfire. She head rested on her husband's shoulder, and she gazed upon the new couple with affection in her eyes. She winked at them, and then turned back to her husband.

"I guess I don't - with either situation." Diana laid her own head on Bruce's shoulder, letting him pull her in. Still in step, they held each other close, enjoying their first real dance together.

* * *

_The land that you ache for, / The land that he gives, / The land that makes you sigh / If you don't see it often. / The land where he was born; / You can not forget, / Because he has your origin - My Land - Gloria Estefan_

_A/N Shout out to mis boricuas morenas! Rosita is a combination of many passionate Latina friends I've ever had the pleasure of knowing. Mucho amor, hermanas! And the dance lesson is a combination of every lesson I've ever had. Yes...even the hip portion! LOL!_

_Music links on my profile page!_

_Spanish Translations:_  
_¡muy bien!_ – Very Good!  
_Mi cariño – My dear_  
_¡Oye! – An exclamation, like 'hey!'_  
_putas – uh…look it up._  
_Mi_ _hija – my daughter_  
_Buenas tardes, señora – Good evening, ma'am_  
_¡Váyase! – go away!_  
_Muy bella – very beautiful_  
_Mediterráneo – Mediterranean _  
_¡Muchas gracias! – thank you very much!_  
_¡Caray! – Wow!_  
_Bueno – okay_  
_Suavemente – gently_  
_Perfecto - Perfect_  
_¡Qué bella! – How beautiful!_  
_¡ven aquí, por favor! – Come here, please!_  
_¡Y Cambia! – And change!_


	6. Son Las Diez de La Noche en Gotham

_A/N Hola, mis cariños! I really, really, really, recommend you visit my profile for the music links to the next three chapters. They seriously helped me write these. And FYI and possibly TMI, I found out just a few nights after publishing this chapter that, yes, you can salsa and merengue in knee high, high heeled boots. Had to do my research! ;-)  
- D. Nox._

* * *

_*Son Las Diez de La Noche en Gotham - 10:00PM in Gotham_

* * *

_*A recordação vai com onde eu vou / A recordação vai estar pra sempre onde eu vou / Dança, sol ei mar guardarei in ollar / O amor vais quereir encontrar / Lambando estarei ao lembrare que este amor / Por um dia um instante por ley - Taboo_ - Don Omar

* * *

'_Live in the moment, Diana. That's all you have. Build the memories that you can call upon later when things do get difficult. They'll help you through those dark times when you need them the most.' _  
_- Two Days; Chapter 6 - Traveling: Friday Night_

* * *

Diana wondered why she ever doubted she could dance with Bruce. They sparred all the time, sometimes brutally. Yet after every bout, they would pick each other up, brush themselves off, and analyze what they had done right, wrong, and what the hell kind of move was that? If they were comfortable throwing each other around a padded room, dancing together was a piece of flan.

Bruce was an excellent teacher, especially after she received the basics from Rosita. He showed her some additional moves, telling her where to put her feet and how to step. He slowly guided her until she was comfortable, and then sped it up. Then he led her through a combination of turns, showing how they could work it into their dancing repertoire.

Diana doubted that he used such gentle instruction with his protégés when teaching them their dark craft, but he did use firm voice command when showing her some of the more advanced turns. Instead of taking offense, she took comfort in his grounded presence on the unfamiliar dance floor. He tempered his tone with a gentle touch or a warm smile, showing her he wanted her to do well.

And she wanted to give him her best. She couldn't have imagined that dancing with him would bring her such joy. Diana didn't realize she could fall deeper in love with him. She was glad to be proven wrong on both.

Unfortunately, all was not smooth on the dance floor. She stopped counting after the fifth time she stepped on his foot, though he easily shook it off. He did look down to check if she had two left feet after the ninth. She offered to float after she stepped on him for the tenth time. They abandoned that particular advanced move for another night.

Then there was the instance where he tried turning her in a rapid series of spins. She took the first two rotations pretty well. The third, she forgot to spot her turn and became confused on which count she should step. The fourth time when he tried a different type of turn, she lowered her arm too low and ended up wrapped in his embrace. Bruce found himself suddenly hugging his princess, and he didn't have time to correct the motion's inertia.

They would have fallen to the wooden floor if it weren't for Diana subtly using her flight power to pick them up and land them safely. Bruce set down his foot first, hoping he covered the movement well. They glanced around to make sure no one saw. Rosita silently laughed at them from behind the bar.

Yet after a while, their steps grew more confident, their turns flowed, and their internal rhythms synchronized. Bruce now only needed a gentle touch to guide Diana into the direction he wanted her to go. In turn, she gracefully followed his lead, putting her heart into her dance, causing many to watch them with envy and admiration. The new couple made no notice of these glances - they only had eyes for each other.

The setting sun beaming into the window slowly moved across the floor, as if it wanted to cut in and dance with the beautiful princess. Their silhouettes parted, then entwined, separated again, and united once more in a choreographed display of light and shadow. For this moment, there was no mission, nor city to protect - no immortal kingdoms, nor divine endowments with which to serve.

There was only a man and a woman dancing, finding happiness in each other's arms.

Oblivious to the sunset, the couple continued dancing in their own little world. Eventually, they allowed themselves to simply move to the basic step, holding each other close, enjoying their embrace. Diana cuddled into Bruce's broad chest, laying her head on his shoulder, her arms around his neck. Bruce laid his head on Diana's, wrapping his arms around her waist, holding her like the treasure she was.

He glanced up to see if Rosita was still watching. Instead, he was startled to find Alicia sitting on a stool at the end of the bar, gazing them with a dreamy look in her eyes. She rested her chin in her hand, her elbow perched on the surface's edge. Her shoulders rose and fell, the sigh clear in her body language. Bruce didn't know if he found that endearing, or if he should put a guard on that young lady.

He wondered if her parents would appreciate the Dark Knight policing the men hovering around her. His nerves calmed when he observed Nicholas approach his daughter, tap her on the shoulder, and hold his hand out for her to dance. She bounced off her seat and took her father's hand eagerly, joining him for an energetic round of salsa. The admiring fellows quickly retreated.

"I know you saw that, Bruce, I could feel you tense up. Gods forbid you have a daughter." Diana's voice snapped him out of his protective haze, bringing him back to the dance floor.

"I can't help it. Did you see how those boys were lurking around her? Like vultures!"

"I'm sure Alicia can handle herself. She grew up in this environment, so she knows what to expect from men. And I can see she's like her mother. I doubt any boy can take her feistiness. They would have to mature a bit more to catch her attention."

"I guess. But she's so young, so innocent."

"You're treating her like 'daddy's little girl' almost too well. But, have you noticed you seem to have as much a problem with your son as with a daughter?"

"How so? Dick seems able to handle himself well."

"Really? How many relationships has he been through at such a young age? Kori, Barbara, my sister? Looks like you should have tried to beat them off with a stick, too."

"Ah...I guess it would take an Amazon to see it that way. I can see you doing that if you had a son. You can help me with Tim. Have Amazons ever had children?"

"Only the girls that wind up on our beaches. Our laws banning men from the island preclude any of us from giving birth. There may also be limitations to what the gods allow us to do. I'm the only one that had been 'born' as far as I know, and I wasn't brought into the world by conventional means. Who knows what would happen if...you know."

"Diana, if that were ever to happen to us, I think..." She placed a finger on Bruce's lips to pause his thought.

"I think this is a talk that should happen some other time. Let's just enjoy each other's company right here, right now, okay?" She could hear J'onn's advice echo through her head. She wanted to collect as many bright happy moments for them before reality set in. They were crime fighters. And with that responsibility comes the possibility of tragedy. Too close...too soon...

"If you say so, Princess."

"I do say so. Listen to your better. I know what's good for you."

"Oh, do you? And what does Her Highness think of more dancing?"

"I think I would like a breath of fresh air before the next round. Let's go get a drink and stand outside for a little while." They exited the dance floor, dodging around the twirling father/daughter pair with some difficulty. Nicholas seemed to be trying his best to make his daughter vomit, while Alicia giggled through each turn, daring him to turn her faster. Her ability to spot her turns made Bruce think she was going to win this round of spin-the-girl.

They approached the bar from the side, that area clear of customers. Bruce started ordering their drinks when two glasses of ginger ale suddenly appeared. Rosita dropped two cherries into each glass, and then pushed them towards him. "Drinks on the house for the first dance lesson. You two seem to be doing pretty good out there. I think you have a good teacher, _sí_?

"_Sí, señora_. We have a great teacher." He took the glasses, trying not to give attention to her significant look. Diana knew more passed between them than meets the eye. They exited the dance area, back to the patio where they had dinner. Bruce handed one of the glasses to Diana. They sipped the drink in silence for a moment, staring out into the bay. A low horn sounded in the background, a boat signaling its approach towards the docks.

"She definitely knows its me."

"What makes you say that?" He held up the glass of ginger ale.

"She's always trying to get me to drink something harder - Jose Cuervo, Corona, something. I always ask for this. She drops the cherries into it to make the drink look more interesting." He took another drink, bypassing the cherries. "She always thought she had a bit of _la bruja_ in her. I can believe it now." At Diana's curious glance, Bruce explained. "Witch, magic user, clairvoyant, take your pick.

"Though I'm sure she's wondering who you are. She's been trying to play matchmaker with me for a while now. I don't know how many girls I've danced with here. She'd tell me 'you need to stop seeing those strumpets, _Señor Wayne_, and settle down with a nice woman. You deserve to make your house a home.' If she only knew who I brought here." He took a sip of his ginger ale to hide his smile.

"She is very perceptive, that's for sure. You do seem to attract the most interesting personalities. Who's to say that you're not the one that's magical?"

"Bite your tongue, woman. There's no way I'm magical!"

"Well, there has to be something about you that attracts it. You already have one example completely dedicated to your orbit." She reached into his glass, delicately plucking out a cherry by the stem. She rolled her tongue around the fruit, then bit it off. She gave him a cheeky smile before drinking her own beverage.

Bruce took her drink out of her hand and set both glasses on a table beside them. Gently pushing her up against the retaining wall, he wrapped his arms around her. "Yes, you are magic, aren't you? You have me completely under your spell. How do I break it?"

"It might take you an eternity to find out. Willing to wait that long?"

"Mmmm...at least for the rest of my life. After that, we'll see." He could feel Diana's lips tremble as he kissed her. Maybe they shouldn't have mentioned his mortality. Bruce tried comforting her, silently telling her how much more he had fallen in love with her while they danced. He could feel the wind gust, her hair flowing around them as they embraced.

Diana caressed his cheek as they parted, gazing into his eyes. "I think that's why all of this is happening so fast - you and me. Its like we're making up for lost time and ensuring as much as we can get for the future."

"You figure? In the past two days we've professed our love, I nearly trap you in a Hiketeia, we've told each other our inner most secrets, and started talking about the rest of our lives together. If that's how much we've covered in two days, what's this weekend going to look like?" He felt his communicator buzz in his back pocket. Closing his eyes in apprehension, Bruce brought it out, hoping that it was Alfred asking where he was, or Clark giving him a pep talk. Anything...ANYTHING but work...

::NW-SITREP:: "Damn cockblocker." Bruce muttered under his breath. _I should have told him to forget checking in unless it was an emergency._ Diana glanced at his communicator, wondering where in the message it mentioned blocking chickens. Not seeing anything, she filed the reference under "ask Shay later."

"Um...I should get this. But I'll make it quick, I promise!" Bruce pleaded to Diana. He really wanted her to stay the weekend.

"Sure, go ahead. Make sure he's okay. I'll just stand here...by myself...in the dark...looking out at the beautiful, lonely city..."

"Shit." ::Make it quick, got things to do::

::Whoa! No hello, how are ya? What's the dealeo?::

::You're alive. Did you get the truck?::

::Awww you do care! Yes found the truck. Some strange tanks in it::

::DO NOT TOUCH THOSE!::

::OK. What should I do with them?::

::Contact O to have WT send a Javelin. A GL should help pick up. But not Stewart:: Bruce had John on a different sort of mission...

::Extreme! That bad?::

::Under no terms come in contact with those tanks::

::Okay B. No problem. Will do. Or won't::

::Good::

::Who's with you? Can I talk to her?::

::No::

::Damn. Wait. Am I cockblocking?::

Bruce glanced at Diana, still staring out at the Gotham skyline. She looked back at him, gave him a dramatic sigh, and looked away. Bruce considered dismissing the question...

::Possibly. Next SITREP give me only quick update. I will only respond if you need me::

::Sure. She must be special to have your full attention::

::Yes. She is::

::Do I know her?::

::Maybe::

::She seems good for you. This is the longest convo we've had in a while::

::Yes, she is:: Bruce considered the next text... ::Please be careful. Tanks could be extremely dangerous. Don't want to lose you:: Several seconds passed by, longer than usual.

::I will B. Thank you. Good luck with lady friend. Hope to meet her::

::You will. B Out::

Bruce slipped the comm back into his back pocket and slid up to Diana, leaning in towards her back. She swiftly turned around and started passionately kissing him. Taken by surprise, it was all Bruce could do to hold on and enjoy the ride. She didn't let go until she was sure he was sufficiently breathless.

"Wow. What was that for?"

"I missed you. And to remind you who your main objective is tonight."

"Believe me, I haven't forgotten."

"Is everything okay? For a minute there, you look concerned."

"Dick found some suspicious tanks in the truck. I hope it's not the chemical we're investigating, but I'm not taking any chances. I had him contact Barbara to send for a Javelin transport. Those should be quarantined from the general public until we can determine what it is."

Diana's eyes went wide with worry. "If you really need to follow-up on this, we can end the date now. I can wait for you at the Manor, I won't go anywhere."

_How did I ever deserve you? _"No, that's okay. Dick has everything covered. I briefed him on the severity of the situation. He'll contact me if he needs anything, but he knows that I'm otherwise occupied."

"But you're worried about him, aren't you?"

"Yes. When he told me those tanks were in the truck, I could only think of the reaction you had when you imagined what could have happened to me if the chemical hadn't been neutralized. I think I have an idea how you felt at that time. I'm sorry I didn't take you more seriously."

"Why didn't you tell him that?"

"I did. It was actually one of the first genuine things I've said...er, texted...to him in a while. He noticed that you're having a good influence on me. Maybe it's that magic you were talking about earlier, huh?"

"Yes, Bruce, it's called love. You love your son, even if you can't tell him. Just like you couldn't tell me."

"But I can tell you now."

"So...maybe you can tell him, too, one day."

"Maybe. But he was right about something else. He didn't want to get in the way of my 'lady friend' either, as he said. He'll only be sending me updates and asking for help if he needs it. I won't have to work anymore unless it's an emergency."

"Okay. But I was only joking about the work thing. I'm going to be with you this weekend whether you like it or not. I just wanted to make sure you weren't totally engrossed and forget about me."

"Ah, Diana. You do need to keep me on my toes about that. Believe me, I can get lost in my work. I shouldn't get so comfortable that I take you for granted. I don't want to look up one day and find that not only have you left, but you've been gone for a while."

"Maybe if I was a partner alongside you, you won't have a chance to work too long. I'll help you get the work done faster so we can go to other, more interesting things."

"Hmmm, that sounds like a good idea. But there's one problem with that."

"What?" Diana felt a stab of worry. Was she not good enough?

"If you're there, I might be so distracted by wanting to throw you down and make love to you, that I'll forget to work at all."

Diana gasped at the images he had put in her head. She wished they could do just that...right now. "Gods, Bruce. If I kissed you every time you made me feel like this, I...I...damn it! You got me so flustered, I can't even think of what I would do."

"Hm. Would it be something like this?" He ran his fingers along the straps on her shoulder. He pulled them down, just enough to let it fall to her arm. There was no chance that the bodice would slip, she filled it out too well. But the suggestion of what he wanted to do with the dress made her shiver.

He let his fingertips glide the path back to where the straps had been, marveling at how soft her skin felt. He ran his thumb along the crook of her neck, remembering when he first tasted her there. When he leaned down to repeat what he had done before, Diana ducked her head, playfully covering the area from his advance.

"Oh, no you don't. You're not going to mark me there again. We still have a night of dancing to get through."

"Hmmm…I like this challenge. How do I get another mark onto Wonder Woman."

"I think this time, it's how to get a mark onto Batman." She lifted the straps back to her shoulder, and then pushed him away. Taking his hand, she pulled him towards the dance floor, glancing back at him with that "come hither" look.

"_En garde_, Princess. You think you'll be able to?"

"Round one, my dear. Let's dance."

* * *

_Mientras tanto, en la Watchtower... (Meanwhile, in the Watchtower)  
_Shayera was reading through Batman's report when the comm alerted her to an incoming transmission.

"Watchtower, this is Hawkgirl. Whatcha need?"

"Hawkgirl? I thought Wonder Woman would be there. This is Oracle."

"Hey, O. What's up?"

"I just received a transmission from Nightwing. He said Batman told him to have a Javelin sent down to pick up some suspicious tanks. Said it was extremely urgent and to take special care that no one touches them. He wants one of the Lanterns to come down to handle them, but not Stewart."

"It'll have to be Jordan then. Send me the coordinates and I'll feed them to the ship. He can take it from there.

"Great. I'll let Dick know." Her tone of voice changed, curiosity clear through the comm. "Hey Shay. Can I ask a question?"

"Sure, Babs. Whatcha want to know?"

"What's Batman up to? He had Dick take over his patrol for the night and possibly the weekend." Shay raised an eyebrow. _Got some high hopes there, Bruce?_ "Dick's been trying to figure out where he is, but can't get a straight answer out of him. He does know that there's a woman involved, so we figure he's out on a date. We know he goes out on dates to maintain his cover, but this one seemed different. Real." Shay knew that's exactly what it was, but didn't want to give out personal information. But she could lead her to a suggestion of the truth...

"Bats? He doesn't tell me much, you know that. He stopped by here earlier to give me a report, but he didn't stay long. Looked like he had somewhere to go."

"Hmmm...I'm sure Diana could have told us. She seems pretty aware of him."

"That's true. Actually, they're usually on the 'Tower together for a while on Friday evenings, right before Bats leaves for patrol. But the duty shift changed." Shay was pretty proud of that hint.

"I guess they both had something to do tonight. So how'd you get stuck with the sucky shift? I thought that's why Di always took it. She told me once that she takes it so others can have a life since she didn't have one."

"Me? Oh...well..."O_kay, Babs. You're smart; make the connections._"I lost a bet with Wonder Woman. Took her shift to free her up for a while. Seems she has a life now."

"Oh really! I wonder who the lucky guy is..." _silence for one two three...five six seven..._"OH. EEM. To the effen GEE!" Shayera could almost hear the connections click. She smiled. "You don't think her and Bats...no. Yes? Shay? Is that who Batman's with?"

"I can't confirm nor deny Batman's whereabouts nor his company because, well, I'd like to live, and I may or may not be telling you that you're on the right track. But I can say that Diana stopped by here to see me right before she left and she was dressed to the nines. She was gorgeous and smiling from ear to ear."

"Oh...oh...this is awesome. This is SWEET! Okay, let me get some facts so I can pass them on to Dick. He's going to try to find Bats, see who he's with. What was Di wearing when she left?"

"Di? She wore this hot little dress that ended at her knees. About the same red that she usually wears. Cute silver shoes, and a wrap about the same silver color." Shay was interested in seeing how they handled this investigation. She could have easily given the coordinates Bruce had given her, but that was too easy. Those were hers.

"Sounds like she dressed for dancing. Okay...what time did she leave?" Shay checked the logs. Transporter records were deleted around that time. Looks like Bats had taken care of that, too.

"She stopped by here around 6:30 pm your time, give or take. There's no record of her transport or where she went. Seems those were wiped out."

"Uh huh. Convenient - a little too convenient. Definitely sounds like a Bat move. Was there anything he said that was out of the ordinary?

_The entire conversation was out of the ordinary. _"Let me see...he dropped off the report. Told me he wanted my feedback on an investigation. Maaayhavementionedthathewasg oingsomewhere...and left."

"Whoa, what?"

"Come on, Babs! You know I can't say anything." '_This conversation never happened' he said. Pretty strong order not to say a word! _

"Oh, please girl. You're not intimidated by him, are you? He's all growl and no...wait, yes, he bites, too. But drop one little hint. Something that can help us figure out..."

"Enchanting." Shay butted in. "That's a word he used that was out of the ordinary, 'enchanting.'

"Yes! And a very telling word that is! I know exactly who Dick should contact next. Thanks Shay, you've been very helpful!

"Please don't let this lead back to me. I've done enough when it comes to him."

"Shit, Shay, what did you do?"

"I may get a chance to tell you over drinks some day. When I'm old and grey. Until then, I'm keeping my damned mouth shut."

"No prob. We're good at covering our tracks, we learned from the best. Not one feather will get harmed in this investigation. Would you like to know the results?"

"No. I think I'm in deep enough as it is. Don't even think of me while you're snooping around. He'll catch wind I was involved that way, too."

"Don't worry, Shay. We didn't even have this conversation. Oracle out."

_The Bat Clan must be related. They even have the same parting phrases. _Shay fiddled with the report she had been reading. She wrote a few notes in the columns, calling out certain details that she thought were suspicious. She was about to turn the page when another alarm came from the console in front of her. This time, she had anticipated this alert. _It's 10:00 PM Gotham time. Yay!_

Taking out the envelope Bruce had given her, she typed in the coordinates and radio frequency he had given her. Adjusting the volume, she didn't know what to expect. Elegant conversation, sophisticated violin music, nothing at all...

_Whoa! What...is...this? _The music pounded to a sexy Latin rhythm, immediately making her move her body to the beat. She could hear shouts in the background "Abrirlas! Abrirlas! Abrirlas!" She had no idea what they were saying, but she felt their excitement. She wanted to shout, too.

"Oh, Bruce! Where did you take Diana? What are you doing with her?"

* * *

_Mientras Tanto, En El Club Cielo...  
_The couple entered the staging area and paused. "Where did all these people come from?" Diana asked.

"Must have filled in as we were talking." Bruce had never seen the club this full. The dance floor was almost filled to capacity. The entire room danced to a fast, almost tribal beat - primal, and oh so spicy. "You'll like this one Princess. Very easy compared to salsa. Let's see how you handle this."

He pulled her to a clearing in the middle of the floor. The movement was easy, a simple side to side step. Diana could see that couples were making it more complicated with turns and improvised steps. But after learning to salsa, she wasn't intimidated. She allowed Bruce to pull her in, holding her almost obscenely close as he stepped out the rhythm.

She took the challenge. She laid her hand on his at her hip, bringing him closer by winding her other arm around his waist. She hoped he remembered that was the way she trapped him with the Lasso of Truth. He wasn't the only one who made a mark that night. Being that close to him, she could feel she was indeed nearly intimate with him.

_How was I supposed to move my hips? Oh yes...make him happy._ She allowed her hips to move a little more aggressively, brushing up against him in a very suggestive way. He pulled away from her, his eyebrows raised in surprise. She glanced up at him through her eyelashes, letting him know she had thrown the first move.

Bruce couldn't believe she did that! That...that was so...freakin' sexy! He had to be careful, she was playing dirty. Bruce led her through a series of aggressive turns, trying to throw her off. She spun through those, giving him a glance that said _'that's all you got? Bring it!'_ He held her out at arm's length, still holding her fingers. His glare said _'let's see what you have, then.'_ She took the hint.

Diana, keeping step to the beat, let her hips sway a little stronger, gracefully moving from pose, to sashay, to turn, showing off for the man she wanted. She could almost feel his lust-filled gaze run up and down her body as he let her shine. She nearly lost her step when he abruptly pulled her back into his embrace, crushing her to his body from chest to groin. Yep, he liked what he saw.

_'I'm winning!'_ Diana thought, smirking as she looked into his eyes. Bruce groping her backside said '_No, you're not'_. His low growl emphasized this sentiment. She couldn't really hear it over the music, but she could feel it. She gave her own low chuckle, enjoying this little "sparring" session on the dance floor.

The crowd, all moving to the same beat, started chanting something to the music. "Abrirlas! Abrirlas! Abrirlas!" Many of them put their hands up in the air, pointing upwards. The dueling couple looked up, trying to see what they were calling for.

Bruce remembered one little design detail he had included when the Demopoulos family renovated the warehouse. He donated a solar panel skylight system to help keep power costs down. The concept was to allow the panels to move according to the sun's position in the sky. He'd been given feedback that they were a financial success. He didn't know they were a crowd favorite.

The skylight windows opened slowly, letting the moist wind flow inside. With the salt-tinged bay air flowing in, one could imagine they were dancing near a beach in the Caribbean or in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Bruce was pleasantly surprised at how the public received his donation. He was also sufficiently distracted for a certain someone to make her move.

Diana could see how Bruce craned his neck upwards to watch the spectacle above. Watching how interested he was with the tech, she was equally fascinated with his strong jaw line and tempting neck muscles. Taking the initiative, she leaned in, laid her lips on the crook of his neck...and started sucking the hell out of his skin.

Bruce nearly fell over in surprise. He tried pulling back, but she ran her fingers through his hair, effectively forcing him to hold still. Then he relented, letting her continue to taste him. He closed his eyes and suppressed a groan when he felt her slightly bite, then nearly melted when she gave one last little lick, then kissed the area as she let go. The incoming breeze blew across his skin, making him involuntary shiver. He admired that she was able to do all of this, while still keeping step to the pounding beat.

He glanced down at his mischievous princess. She looked up, very pleased with herself, even licking her lips as if saying 'mmmm, _delicioso_.' He leaned down, kissed her slowly, lusciously. Aiming his mouth towards her ear, he breathed "_Touché. _Round one is yours."

Diana grinned her victory. She startedt to lean back to admire her work when he continued his thought. "Round two will be mine."

* * *

_*This memory goes wherever I go / this memory will always be wherever I go / Dance, sun and sea, I'll keep my eyes open / should the love I long for comes along / I'll be lambading upon recalling that this love / for a day, an instant, it was there - Taboo (La Lambada) _- Don Omar


	7. La Magia de las Tres

_*La Magia de Las Tres - The Magic of Three_

* * *

_Dile que bailando te conocí (Cuéntale) / Dile que esta noche me quieres ver (Cuéntale) / Cuéntale que beso mejor que él (Cuéntale) / Dile que esta noche tu me vas a ver (Cuéntale) - Dile - Don Omar_

* * *

_"Are you ready?"  
__"You might want to remove this before you begin. They'll make it hard for you to get close to the glass, and you might poke my sensitive...bombs...with them. You wouldn't want to set me off, would you Bruce?"  
__Interrogation Tactics - Chapter 5: Taking the Counter Offer_

* * *

_En El Club Cielo...  
_10:00 PM became _una hora roja_ - a red hour. Vermillion lights scorched the air over a hot Latin dance floor. Burgundy hued music caressed all the vital, delicate parts - slinky, blazing, and spicy like chilies. Drums beat an orgasmic rhythm as dark as the blood pulsing through a sexually excited body. A blush colored bruise throbbed on the skin of a Dark Knight. A scarlet dress swayed on the hips of the Amazon Princess that put it there.

Bruce devoured carmine lips as he ravished Diana with crimson hot kisses on a sweltering, steamy night in Gotham. Diana answered with a flame matched only by the furnaces of Hephaestus, her heart pounding like the forging hammer that made her armor. The only thing keeping them on the dance floor was the challenge. Who was going to take this round?

The dueling couple didn't know that each kiss they shared granted more power to the charms they wore. Such was the spell cast upon the gems; it was their love that gave it life. As their shared lust increased, so did the influence of the opals. Many on the floor felt various truths as they danced.

_A dios, he's not the one for me...why am I with her, she wants my money, not me...I wish I had a boyfriend that I could dance with...I'm so glad I married you...she's the best thing that's ever happened to me..._

_I love you...I hate you...I love you so much...what was I thinking?...I wished he loved me...te amo...I miss her...nothing compares to this..._

_What did I do to deserve such a beautiful goddess...I'm so happy you finally let me love you..._

Some of those affected by the spell didn't even have to be close to feel it.

_I want him back. I don't care if he's with another woman...he's mine._

_Why am I still feeling lonely and hurt over a betrayal thousands of years ago?_

_Oh my goodness, guys! Stop it! I can feel the spell working from here. Got to hold off on the juice next time I cast that one. Dear lord, I need a cold shower._

The band could feel that something was happening. Naturally emotional souls, musicians thrived on the electrical charge filling the air. They moved together, swaying back and forth to the bacchanalian beat they fed to the dancers below. A surging cadence pushed the crowd to a synchronous, bobbing motion. One could not help but move.

The heroic couple tried not to tease each other throughout the evening. The tension they caused was unbearable. They were polite, gentle even. Courteous to the delicate new relationship they were making for themselves - nurturing a love as warm and comforting as a glowing russet sunrise.

Ten o'clock. It was time to dance That Way. A gauntlet was thrown in the form of a slow, luxurious kiss on the neck. He had been marked. He couldn't let that go without a fight. The truce on teasing was over. This...means...war.

* * *

_Mientras Tanto...En La Watchtower...  
_Shayera danced to the music piping in from the radio frequency Bruce had given her. She'd heard something like it before, but she's never danced to it, and she liked it! Very sexy, slinky in fact. She wished someone would come into the monitor room, she would ask them to dance with her. If only she could have a drink, something much stronger than mango iced tea.

_Cuéntale...Cuéntale...Cuéntale..._

To fill in for unknown steps, Shay performed a Thanagarian seduction dance, covering her body enticingly with her wings. She lifts her arms, letting her head tilt back as she moved her body to the music. She imagined that she was tempting someone with her dance - a very specific someone. He would have to part her wings to get to her...

She gasped when the door opened, but smirked when John Stewart walk in. _Well, what a lucky stroke of coincidence! _ _"Olá. Como você está?" _She peaked seductively out from underneath her feathers, inviting him to come closer.

"Uh, Shay, what are you doing? And when did you learn Portuguese?"

"What does it look like," she sauntered up to him, moving to the music. She stopped, posed, letting her wings open just a bit, then close in a teasing quickness. "I'm dancing. And as for the new language, I just learned it this morning. A new friend! Brazilian, very nice."

"I see." He recognized the dance she was performing, having watched it many times before. "Please tell me you're dressed underneath there."

"Oh, wouldn't you like to see! You know how this works. If you want to know, you got to come find out yourself." John took the hint, stepping up to the swaying Thanagarian. He ran his fingers along the top ridge of her wing, adding pressure as he pushed it down. _So he remembers how to do that. Good!_

She flung her wings open, surprising the green clad guardian, laying her hands on her covered hips. "Seriously, you think I'd be naked during monitor duty?"

John grinned conspiratorially. "It wouldn't be the first time."

"Okay, let me rephrase that...would I be naked BY MYSELF on monitor duty?"

"I wouldn't put it past you. You have an adventurous streak that has not been surpassed..." The minute he said it, he wanted to put his green boot in his big mouth.

"Oh, so I'm the bar that has to be passed! And it hasn't yet. Hmmm...good to know."

"Err...right. Anyways, just before he left, Bats asked me to inspect that compromised containment unit Supes and I left on the moon. I'm supposed to meet you here and add to a report he gave you. He said you'd be working on it and might have some insights on the investigation he's conducting. Do you have it?"

Shayera's mind started working through the conversation she and the Dark Knight had earlier that night. _You conniving, manipulative, wonderful son of a bitch. _She nodded towards the monitor console, the report open to the last page she was reading. But she wasn't going to let this moment pass. She got the setup from the Caped Crusader, now it was up to her...

A formidable woman. She could do this.

* * *

_En la ciudad de Gotham...(In the city of Gotham)  
_Dick paced back and forth in front of the truck he was guarding. He hated that he was pacing, it meant he wasn't running across rooftops or slamming down bad guys. Too much nervous energy. He waited for the Javelin he was ordered to send for. He knew that it took time for the ship to clear the atmosphere, but he wished he could have the tanks transported up to the Watchtower. But Bruce always had a reason for his orders, so he followed this one.

Dick reread the last text his adoptive father had sent him. :_:Please be careful. Tanks could be extremely dangerous. Don't want to lose you:: _He immediately saved it to his permanent texts after signing off. So many things said in this message:

Treat the evidence with utmost care. Respect it, don't take it for granted for a minute or it will kill you. Do not let it fall into the wrong hands. Keep your eye on it at all costs.

I am worried about you. Don't let this hurt you. I trust you to take care of this. Please be careful.

Dick barely dared to think what else Bruce was telling him in that text. He wouldn't say that. He never did. Why would he start now?

Feeling the need to move, he jumped up the side of the truck, landed on its roof, and sat cross-legged in the middle of the trailer. Deactivating the visual comm unit on his wrist, he activated the voice comm on his mask. He didn't think stealth was necessary for this conversation, so he would rather talk on this one than text.

"N to O, come in. You there?"

"Of course I am. Where else would I be?"

"I don't know, potty break?"

"You're crazy, you know that?"

"It's why you put up with me."

"Uh huh. Anyways, how are things there? Everything secure?"

"Seems that way. Who ever drove this here just disappeared. I didn't find any incendiary devices or activation tech, so I think this was just left here. I don't know, O, this feels like a wild goose chase."

"But B must have had a reason for this to be transported off planet. He probably knows more about this than he's letting on."

'_I don't want to lose you.' _"Yeah, he probably does. So, did Wonder Woman have any insight where he is tonight? Who he's with?"

"Oh! You might want to sit that adorable butt of yours down for this. Do I have some juicy news for you!" Dick looked down towards his bottom already in contact with the truck's roof. _Adorable?_

"I'm sitting down. Whatcha got?"

"Well, first, it wasn't Wonder Woman I spoke with. It was Hawkgirl on duty tonight."

"Shayera? Why was she there?"

"She lost a bet. She's covering the shift so Diana can go out with someone."

"Well, good for her. It's about time she got out more. She's too beautiful to be by herself on Friday nights."

"Hehehe! Well, first of all, she was never truly by herself on Friday nights. Sometimes she had company during the first half of her shifts."

"Really? Who was that?"

"Possibly the same person she's with now."

"Oh! So she's dating a leaguer, huh? Figured that might happen. Any idea which one?"

"Um...who are you covering tonight?"

"You know, you're being really evasive right now...oh." Dick felt like he was hit by the truck he was sitting on. "No…couldn't be...are you sure?"

"Well, that's where you come it. Shay wouldn't outright say yes or no, but she was feeding me some clues to help us figure it out. I'm downloading the notes to your comm unit now. But, N - I think its her."

"Wow. I guess it could happen. You should have seen them when she and the Martian were staying at the mansion. You could cut the tension with a knife. It seemed she was willing to try something, but he was, well, himself."

Dick activated the comm unit on his wrist again to read what Barbara had sent him. "Red dress. Transported out with records erased. Around 6:30 this evening. What's this word here for? 'Enchanting?'"

"It's the one hard fact Shay would give me. B used the word when describing what was going on. Who does that make you think of?"

"Zatanna."

"Bingo."

"I'll give her a call. See what she might be able to tell us."

"Gotcha. Hey, N? What do you think about all this? If it's true. Him and her."

Dick thought about the texts he and Bruce traded. Through the bland, sterile letters, Dick thought he sensed excitement, anticipation...and a little playfulness? And the part of the last text he received...

"I think if she is with him, then she's been very good for him. Very good indeed."

* * *

_En El Cielo...  
_Bruce was about to explode. Seriously and spontaneously combust. Diana's attack on him had thrown him into such a hyperactive level of arousal, it was all he could do not to pick her up, take her to the closest private space, and…he couldn't even think about it without feeling another surge in his groin.

Diana was very aware of the pain she was causing him. She purposefully fanned the flame, intent on winning this round of teasing as well. She would brush up against him, run her hands up and down his broad chest, scratch her nails down his muscular back, and revel in the sweat that ran down his neck as the floor heated up. She took in his masculine scent, continually finding ways of kissing him where she could reach his skin.

He tried pushing her away from him, reminding her that they were supposed to be DANCING, not...that. But then she would sashay, pose, and otherwise writhe to the music in the most enticing way. She took to the rhythm like a true worshipper of Aphrodite. She wielded her sexual power like a pro, not like the virgin that she was.

Bruce needed to turn the tables, and fast. She was getting too comfortable, too sure of herself. He wanted to bring her down a peg, to show her that he was an Alpha to respect. Or at least make her feel just as aroused as he was. And with no thunderstorms in the horizon, she would suffer just like him.

Until she begged for the release only he could give her.

Diana had turned around to give him a view of how she was able to move her hips. _You want good body discipline? Watch this. _So she was startled when a pair of large hands grab her by the waist and roughly pull her backwards. Bruce moved in, bringing his body flush up against hers, letting her feel just how much he wanted her.

He forced her to continue dancing, though they barely continued the side-to-side step movement. He let one of his hands stray downwards - rubbing the contours of the hips she had offered him all night. He laid the other hand on her torso, effectively keeping her right where he wanted her...against him.

"You're fighting dirty, Princess," He murmured in her ear. He nuzzled the skin behind her ear, pleased to see that she was sweating as much as he was. She smelled so nice...delectable, even.

"How do you think? I'm fighting with the powers I have. And you didn't mention any rules, so I'm not powering down anything. What's wrong, Bruce? Can't handle it?" She reached back to caress his cheek as he pulled her head back to kiss her. Just as the windows above distracted him before, he diverted her attention away from his real objective.

Answering his kiss with a liberal amount of lip and tongue, Diana arched her back to reach Bruce's mouth while staying in the awkward position, still moving to the music. She nearly jumped out of her skin when she felt his hand dip under her skirt and started running his fingertips up the inside of her thigh. Her gasp disconnected her lips from his, allowing him to lay gentle bites along her neck.

She realized that he wasn't going to stop this time, not like in the cave. She glanced around to see if they were being watched. Everyone else seemed engrossed in their own little worlds, each ignoring the others around them, paying only enough attention to not collide into each other. She started breathing hard, somewhere between heightened arousal to sheer panic. She had nearly forgotten a little detail about her wardrobe...

Bruce diverted his hand to the outside of her thigh, wanting to tease her before touching her in those intimate places. He was pleased to feel her breathing pick up, almost to a fever pitch. He traced the contour of her upper leg muscle, intent on touching the delicate fabric that covered a true treasure indeed...

There was nothing there.

Both lurched forward in surprise, Diana at the sudden caress on a sensitive area, Bruce at the absolute surprise at feeling...Oh...Sweet...Aphrodite! He abruptly moved his hand to her hip, but still kept it under her skirt. He explored the area, looking for even the most thinnest straps of fabric...maybe he missed it. Nope. Nothing but skin.

"Diana," he breathed in her ear. He couldn't stop caressing her. Oh so soft...

"Bruce." She trembled, unable to stop from shaking at the feelings he was causing in her. "_Touché_," she conceded. He continued to touch her. "This round is yours." He still didn't stop. "Bruce?"

Suddenly, he yanked his hand away, grabbed her by the wrist, and pulled her away from the dance floor. Threading their way through the crowd, he exited to the patio. He found the cove where they had dinner and inspected it to make sure it was empty. Sure that no one was there, he pushed Diana into a corner made by the two high walls. They were invisible to anyone looking out of the club.

They attacked each other with an abandon of two starving, ravenous bodies. Bruce pushed her harder against the wall, unable to control his pure unadulterated lust. He was a strong man, muscularly built - he would have hurt a more delicate woman with the almost violence he treated the body in his arms. But Diana was stronger, and she relished the power as he pushed himself onto her.

They sparred as if they were fighting for their lives. He tried to pin her arms to the wall while he took control of her lips. She pushed back, disengaging his hands from her wrists, grabbing his shoulders and pulling him more firmly onto her. Her force was almost painful, but Bruce took that as a further challenge to his authority. He reached down and pulled up her skirt farther around her hips, giving him better access to her.

Diana gasped when he moved himself in between her legs. She was trapped by his body and by her lust. The lack of undergarments gave her a true feel of how aroused he was. He reached around to squeeze her bare derriere. The combination of his warm hands and the friction of him pressed against her had her near a climax...

Abruptly, Bruce lifted himself off her. Placing his hands on the wall on each side of her head, he touched his forehead to hers. He was breathing hard, his entire body shaking as he tried to bring himself under control. She tried to press up against him again, straining for him, demanding...

She glanced up into his face, noting his pained expression. She hesitated, and then delicately touched his lips with her fingertips.

"Bruce? Are you okay?"

He looked straight into her eyes, pleadingly. "Diana. I'm begging you; give me a reason why I shouldn't take you right now. I don't think I can hold back any longer."

* * *

_En La Watchtower...  
_"So, John. This music, I like it. What is this called?"

"This? This is a type of Latin music, uh Reggaeton, I think."

"Nice. How do you dance to it?"

"Oh, I shouldn't be showing you that. Especially while you're on duty..."

"Since when did that stop us?" _Yes, I said us._

"This is true. Though I'm not sure if this particular room has seen our type of extra monitor duty..."

"Then let's inaugurate it with a dance. It'll be among the tamer things we've done."

"Aah, Shay, I can't do this, I'm with..."

"I just want to know how to dance to this, that's all. What are you afraid of? I won't bite too hard. Show me." She stepped up closer to him, moving into his space, nearly touching him...

He pulled her in, bringing her body flush against his. He started a simple step to the music, swaying back and forth with her in his arms. She wrapped her arms around his neck, remembering how easy it was for her to do so. They fell into the rhythm naturally, like they'd been doing this for years.

"Ah, this isn't so hard. I guess its best when done with a partner, hmm?" Shay boldly looked him in the face, and then glanced down to his lips. She grinned when she saw him subtly lick them.

"It's a simple dance, but you can do a lot with it - turns and such. But those would be hard to do with your wings in the way." He gave an unconscious rub on her back, right where her wings and body muscles meet. He couldn't have forgotten that was a Thanagarian erogenous zone. She pressed up further against him, pleased that she got that reaction out of him.

"But you know these wings can do other things." She surrounded him with said feathery appendages, closing them in their own, fluffy world. With great skill for her people, she slowly opened them, caressing his back while she allowed her body to move with his in front. He reacted by leading the dance into a more aggressive hip roll. _Oh yeah, this is what I've missed!_

Shayera knew he was taken. She knew he was an honorable man, and faithful. She seriously didn't care. She wanted him back. He was hers in the first place, everyone else were placeholders as far as she was concerned. She had a rep for being a bad girl? Good.

Bad girls were allowed to play dirty.

She purposely started moving in towards him, seeming like she was going to kiss him. She pulled back when he was about to accept her. He advanced, making her move away even more. She had to make sure there was absolutely no doubt he wanted to do this. She leaned back so far, he was supporting her in That Place on her back and was just in reach for her other erogenous zone...

His kiss on her neck had her wings quivering. She missed this so much. She ran her fingers along his bare scalp, wishing for his hair's curly texture that she had taken for granted. He lifted her back up, not hesitating to grab the lips she had kept from him a second ago. _Make him remember, Bruce said. How about let me remember..._

They were reminding each other of many, many things. The rhythm of the music only played as the background music to their dance. A phrase kept playing in the song. She wondered what it meant...

_Cuéntale...Cuéntale...Cuéntale..._

"Wait...stop..." John tried to step back, but Shay kept a hold of him. "I shouldn't do this. I'm with someone else. We ended things. YOU ended things. This is wrong..."

"Maybe. Or maybe its right, and you just don't want to admit that we should be together. I'm going to say this plan and simple..."

* * *

_En la ciudad de Gotham...  
_Dick called Zatanna's cell immediately after hanging up with Barbara. He listened as her phone rang one, two, three, four...then went to voicemail. "This is Zatanna. I'm either doing a show or stuck in a parallel universe chasing a large white rabbit. Leave me a message and I'll call back later. _Ciao_!" _Beep!_

"Hey, Zee, its N. Give me a call if you can tonight. I have a question about something B might have asked you for. It's not an emergency...but give me a call as soon as you can anyway. Hope Bugs hasn't pulled you too far away this time. Tell him I'll bring a carrot by the next time I see you. Bye."

He had just cut the call when he saw that Zatanna was calling right back. "Hey, Zee! That was fast. I have a quest..."

"Dick! Oh my god, am I glad to hear from you. Do you know where your Dad and Diana are?"

"Whoa! Slow down!" _'Your Dad and Diana'? Never thought I'd hear that combination put together. _"I was about to ask you the same thing. Once I rendezvous with someone here and take care of some business, I'm going to see what B's been up to."

"Oh, I can tell you what they've been up to all right. What I need you to do is to find them and get them to stop!"

"What? Wait, you know what's been going on between them? B and Di?"

"If you're talking code for Bruce and Diana, Batman and Wonder Woman...yes, I know exactly what's going on. And now, I think I know too much about what they're doing..."

"What are you talking about, Zee?"

"I mean...oh. Oh...hold on...oh my goodness...oh, that's nice...mmmm...ahhh...yep. They're having a good time...oh no. You didn't hear that did you? Shit! Please, you have to find them!"

"Wow, Zee! If you ever have a problem with your magic act, you should seriously start a phone sex service..."

"Don't joke about this! They're driving me crazy! I had no idea the spell I gave Bruce was so freakin' powerful. Or they made it that way with all that damned kissing!"

"Aah! My delicate ears! Why don't you start at the beginning so I know what's going on."

"Okay. Um, so, I offered Bruce a favor a while back. I helped him out during a crisis when Diana was turned into a...well, she was out of sorts and needed help getting back to human form. Your father was trying everything to help her, and I saw that there was something going on between them. He went up against a Greek sorceress for Diana, did you know that?"

"Uh, no. I didn't. He fought a sorceress? How did he do that?"

"Not by any conventional means, I tell ya. Dick, Bruce sang for her."

"He what? Wait a minute..." Dick cleared out the ears. "I thought you substituted the word 'sang' for 'kicked ass' or 'nearly crippled someone'."

"No, I meant 'sang'. Your father has a beautiful voice. He had to give a part of himself that was buried so deep, that he couldn't take it back. It was the only way he could save Diana. And he did it."

"Well, B's is that kind of guy. He'll do what's necessary to get a job done."

"No, you don't understand. He gave a part of his soul to save her. I was there, and I could feel the magic from that one song."

"Magic? Now I know we're talking about two different people. He doesn't 'do' magic. He doesn't trust it as far as he can throw it."

"Dick, you're not hearing me. He loves her! That's magic unto itself, he just didn't know it. Because it was so powerful, it convinced Circe to change Diana back."

Dick sat silently for a few seconds. Bruce loves Diana? That puts things into a whole different context... "So, what does that have to do with them tonight. Why did B come to you earlier?"

"He visited me during that huge storm a few nights ago. He asked for something that would disguise him and Diana so they could go out without being hounded by the public. It was a combination of elements that made this spell possible. The night, the storm, the electrical charge I was sensing from him...it was like everything had turned Technicolor, like in the old Wizard of Oz movie.

"There was this spell I had wanted to use - an ultra-truth spell. I figured if you want to hide yourself from people, the best way to do that is be more than what they expect of you...just yourself. Bruce hides under so many layers of untruths, it seemed to be the perfect spell for him and Di. Apparently, it's working too well."

"So what you're saying is you gave B a spell that hides him in plain sight. What does kissing have to do with it?"

"That's what activated the spell. I had to find out a secret about them that would pull three elements of their lives together, then one final catalyst to bind them. Boy, those two have been naughty!"

"Ah...don't tell me. I'm not sure I want to know." _Oh, shit...I just asked Bruce if I was cockblocking him from Wonder Woman. That's just too...wow...go Dad!_

"But what I didn't do was place a limit on how much magic they could put into the charms. I forgot to tell the spell that it took only one kiss, and one truth to make it work. Without that stopgap..."

"They're making the spell more powerful with each kiss and each secret they share. I think I got the picture. So what's that got to do with you feeling so...groovy?"

"To even cast the spell, I had to give an example of a secret held between all three of us. I used the Circe incident to bind us together. So in a sense, I'm bound to them for as long as they wear the charms that hide them. That's how I can feel what they're...um, mmmm...doing. Ahh...she's good. URGH!"

"So, you used an incident where B sang to save Di, Di was turned into...something, and you helped them out. What was the thing that bound you together?"

"Um, I'd rather not say..."

"Oh, come on, Zee! You're already in this deep. I've practically heard you experiencing all kinds of nasty. What bound you together?"

"Uh...well...you know me and your dad almost had something, right?"

"Yeah, and so...oh! You still have feelings for him don't you."

"Yep, a little. I figured that's something me and Diana have in common..."

Dick whispered so no one could hear him name names. But it was so juicy..."So in a sense, you and Diana have been having a threesome with Bruce all night?"

"RICHARD GRAYSON-WAYNE! You get that thought out of your head, right this instant! Ah, that's not right...stop laughing! This is not funny!" She heard his laugh abruptly stop with a yelp.

"Sorry, nearly fell off the truck I'm sitting on. So what can I do to help? I was just tracking them down for shits and giggles. Now it looks like it'll be an act of mercy to find them."

* * *

_En El Cielo...  
_"Bruce, why would you want to stop? We want this. I want this. Please, I can't stand it anymore..."

"No, not like this. It shouldn't happen this way." He closed his eyes, breathing through his nose, out through his mouth. He was fighting a different kind of battle, against himself...

"Gods, Bruce, we're torturing each other here! We love each other. We want to make love. I don't see why we can't..."

"Diana, this isn't making love. This is having sex in a corner of a nightclub. As much as I want to, and it would be fucking sexy, our first time shouldn't be here. Goddamn, I want you so bad it hurts. But believe it or not, there is a part of me that needs to do this right. You're not just some debutant I sport on my arm for eye candy. You're the woman I love. You deserve to be treated better."

"But I want you now. I know you love me. That's all I need to know. Please, Bruce..."

"Diana, I know you don't think much of patriarchal ideas, but please listen to me. I do hold some of those values, and they say that there is a proper way to treat a lady when you're courting her. You treat her with respect, make her feel valuable, treasured. I wasn't even sure I was able to show those values until we got together. This is not how I want our first time to be."

"So, what are you saying? You want to wait until we're married?"

"Oh, hell no! That's going too far. Maybe wait for as long as it takes to get back to the Manor for some privacy. Then we can fight it out there for the next round. But for now, let's call this a draw?"

"No, you won this one fair and square. You got me to concede. You just took my surrender to a whole new level."

"Yes, you did surrender, didn't you? Right into my arms." He had closed his eyes to block out the sight of her begging for him. However, that just heightened his other senses, and she was still too close. He could still feel the warmth of her body near his, smell her unique scent, taste her...

This kiss was slower, but just as lustful. He still wanted her, and his body yearned to continue what he had stopped. He was already on a razor-thin line, his arousal only slightly abated. He was pushing up against her again, unable to control himself. She was making sounds of desire...want...need...

He pulled away, violently shaking in frustration, refusing to look at her. He was ashamed of his lack of control, unable to stop his most primal urges. She shouldn't see him so weak. He didn't deserve her if he couldn't even give her the most basic level of respect...

He felt a trembling, cool hand on his cheek, soothingly stroking his skin.

"Sshhh…calm down. Listen to me, Bruce. We have to do this together. Concentrate on my voice. Calm down...breath in…breath out." He felt her lay his head on her shoulder, stroking the back of his neck. She repeated the words, like a mantra. She was a cool drink of water after walking out of a sauna. He could actually feel her voice permeating his body, forcing it to come down off of its high. He wrapped his arms around her waist, drawing comfort from her grounded presence.

Raising his head from her shoulder, Bruce looked into Diana's eyes in awe. "How did you do that? I could actually feel you pushing the tension away."

Diana gave a small smile, glancing shyly away. "Just a little power of persuasion. I can use it even without having the Lasso of Truth with me. I just dropped the suggestion into your mind to calm down. I was drawing upon my own...need...for the energy to do it. In a sense, you helped me, too. Though I didn't exactly mind begging for your attention, it was inappropriate for an Amazon to be so, um, reliant on a man. I can wait. Not too long though."

"You truly are a wonder, in so many ways. So beautiful." He ran his fingers through her hair, thanking her for her understanding. They stayed together, just holding each other. He smoothed down her dress that was wrinkled during their wrestling match. A cool wind blew in from the bay, further dissipating the hot rush of passion that threatened to overwhelm them.

Then he remembered what got them in trouble in the first place. "So, I have to ask...what's with the no, um..." He glanced down significantly.

"Oh...not that you would have known, but I don't really like wearing those. Except for my uniform and with pants, and that took a long time to get used to. Too constricting. Amazon clothing usually doesn't call for underwear." She reached up, putting a delicate finger on Bruce's chin, helping him close his mouth that was hanging open in amazement.

"Um, wow. I'll never be able to look at you in civilian clothes the same again." He felt his communicator buzz in his back pocket. He pulled it out, just to glance at what it said when he did a double take. "Whoa, what was happening here?"

Diana brought his hand down so she could see what he was talking about. Displayed on the communicator was a long line of texts, each almost running into each other in transmission time:

::NW-SITREP-Need to talk::

::Hey B. Its N. Need to tell you something.::

::B. Pick up, its important.::

::I know you're with Diana. Pick up!::

::You guys need to stop kissing, or whatever.::

::I know about the opals Zee gave you, take them off!::

::You're overpowering the charms. Its reflecting back to Zatanna.::

::Dude, you need to take off your charms!::

::Zee can feel what you guys are doing. You're driving her crazy!::

::Both of you need to take the charms off. The magic is rebounding back to you::

::B! She said the rebound is hitting you hardest! You need to stop that, um, thing you're doing::

::Hot damn, what are you guys doing?::

::OH SHIT! STOP! YOU'RE KILLING ZEE!::

::I think she passed out. Hope you're proud of yourselves.::

::Never mind, she woke up. She says you guys suck::

::Aw, man. She said stop! Seriously, give it a rest::

::Good. She thanks you for your restraint. This was so weird::

::So I guess you'll want me to patrol all weekend? No prob::

::The Javelin just arrived. Talk to you later, maybe.::

::Please show Di next message, B. She's good for you. Don't mess it up!::

::Hi Diana. Its Dick. Thanks for making Bruce happy! He deserves it!::

::Talk you later. Bye!::

::BEHAVE!::

Diana was trying her best not to laugh as Bruce shook his head while tabbing through the messages. "I guess we were too distracted for you to notice these were coming through?"

"I would say. And what's this about the rebound? Damn it, I knew this was going to cause me all kinds of problems."

"Oh, I don't know Bruce. So far, I've been having fun."

"I'm sure you have. At least I know losing control wasn't all me. But that was one the hardest battle I've ever fought with myself."

"And you won. You have an indomitable will, my dear. Its one of your most endearing qualities."

"Hm. Says the woman who has broken me down in so many ways."

"I'm the chink in your armor, you're the chink in mine."

"I'm glad we're on the same side then."

"So, um, about our first time..."

"Yes?"

"Afterwards...we can try all sorts of things, right? Places, situations...um. Like here?"

"Damn, Diana! You're already planning ahead?"

"Don't even! I saw the way you were looking at the Batmobile when we were trying to leave the cave. I know you added that to the list of 'the different ways we can ravish each other,' as you said."

An idea popped into Bruce's head of him teasing her on the transporter steps. "You know, Princess - if I had found out you weren't wearing panties while we were in the cave..."

"I know, we wouldn't have made it out at all. I didn't think you were going to be so daring!"

"The woman calls ME 'daring'..." he whispered to himself in amazement.

"I'm glad you didn't find out. This has been the most wonderful night, despite this highly intense, overly charged incident."

"Yes, it has been 'magical', hasn't it?"

"Yes, it has. Uh, should we take off these charms? We don't want this to happen again."

"No, I don't want to reveal that we're here. And now that we know how we're activating them, we'll just have to be careful what we do from now until we leave."

"And when do you want to leave?" Diana asked suggestively. Bruce smiled, and then cocked his head to the side as if listening for something.

"Not quite yet, you'll want to stay for a few more songs. At least this next one, I think."

Bruce took Diana's hand, leading her closer to the club entrance where they could hear the music better without going back inside. Diana was about to ask him for an explanation when she could hear the music stop. The crowd cheered, applauding the band for their excellent playing. Bruce wrapped her in his embrace, Diana pulling him close, encircling her arms around his waist.

"_Buenos noches, todos! _Whoa! How did you like that last set, huh? Man, there is something going on tonight! I don't know about you, but it feels electric in here, doesn't it? You guys have GOT to be feeling that." The crowd cheered their agreement, some whistling, other's cat-calling their approval.

"So now we're going to slow it down a little. Hey hey hey, settle down, you'll like this one. It's slow, sexy, and definitely a little risky. Some of you might be ducking out on this one! This was a dedication given to me earlier in the night, though I don't see the guy who gave it to me...oh well. If he's with that hottie in the red dress I saw him with, I don't blame him!" Diana felt Bruce give a little laugh at that comment.

"So just in case you're still here, or you can hear this, here's the dedication we were asked to play. And this goes out to...wow, this is a sexy name...this is for you, Shayera Hol."

* * *

_*Tell him I met you dancing (Tell him) / Tell him you wanna see me tonight (Tell him) / Tell him I kiss better than he does (Tell him) / Tell him tonight you're going to see me (Tell him) - Tell Him - Don Omar_


	8. Futuro Perfecto

_*Futuro Perfecto - Future Perfect_

* * *

_*Dios mío ayúdame, quiero olvidar / Ayúdame, ayúdame, / ayúdame a olvidarla te lo pido, ayúdame. / ¡Ay! que yo la quiero tanto y no... y no la quiero perder. / Qué lio es, chico - Qué Lío _- Marc Anthony

* * *

_"I was afraid of loving you because I knew I was going to grow old and die, while you would be forever youthful. I couldn't stand it if I had to watch you leave me for someone younger, or worse, for Clark." _  
_"I am willing to give up my immortality, my power, and my youth to stay with you. You won't have to watch me leave for anyone."  
- Baila Conmigo - La Magia de Un Beso_

* * *

_En La Watchtower...  
_"What?!" Shayera jumped when she heard the dedication. She stepped away from John and approached the comm console, as if it could give her a better explanation on why she was mentioned at a club miles away on the planet below her. Surreptitiously, she picked up the card Batman had left her, touching it with reverence.

_What are you doing, Bruce? Is this revenge? Or something better..._She tucked the card into the nearly forgotten book. She turned around to look at John, trying to see what he was thinking. His body had gone rigid, a suspicious expression crossing his face.

"Shay? Why are you getting dedications from a radio station?"

"Um, this isn't a radio station. It's a club in Gotham. A Latin club."

"But how did they know your name?" _Jealous? Let's use that..._

"Actually, I think Bruce did it."

"Bruce? Who's Bru...do you mean Batman?"

"Uh huh. He stopped here before he left and gave me a card with the radio frequency for this place. I really like it. Very sexy."

"But I thought he was going out with Diana. Why would he be dedicating this song to you?"

"I don't know. Maybe to thank me for helping him hook up with Diana. Did you know they both visited me to say the same thing? It was really sweet."

"But this song - it's not a song saying 'thank you.'"

"Oh, you know what says? Tell me."

Listening, John translated, "It's about a man who loves a woman, but can't have her because she's with someone else. He's lamenting that he wants to forget her, but loves her..." He stared at Shay in disbelief. "You and him...you're not together, are you?"

Shay nearly snorted a laugh. _Us, together? Whoa, not in this lifetime. But...oh, Bruce. I'm so sorry for this..._

"And what if we were? I just told him this evening how he was the one I looked to for hope that everything here was okay while I was in exile. You have no idea how seeing him kept me from feeling lonely."

"What? You were in contact with him? Why didn't you call me?"

"I didn't want to cause more trouble than I already had. I needed to separate myself from you, to protect you...and myself."

"But you felt comfortable enough to contact...him. Why? He was one of the people who voted you out!"

"Well, he was really easy to find. It wasn't that hard to see what he was up to."

"Wait, you helped him get with Diana, yet you were...with him? How does that even work? I know he has a reputation for being a player, but I thought that was just a cover."

"He really seemed to want her, and I care about him, so it wasn't that hard to make the connection. I even gave them both feathers to wish them luck." She felt a certain level of satisfaction over his panicked expression.

"You gave them feathers? But, I...I mean, I thought I was the only..."

"You were. But now they're a part of me, too. Not that you care. You probably don't even have the ones I gave you a while back..." She gasped when he pulled one out from his glove. How did he hide those from HER all this time?

"I've kept this with me ever since you gave it to me. Now you're giving yourself away to a man who wants someone else?"

"Why does it matter to you? He only kept me from feeling lonely. You don't even want to be with me, you've already chosen someone else. I don't see what the problem is..."

"I was here! I kept looking for you. You have no idea how many times I looked into the sky, hoping I would see you flying in."

"So you were looking for me? You still felt something for me?"

"Of course I did! I loved you! I still do..." The minute he said it, he knew he was trapped. Shay walked up to him, keeping her eyes on his face. He kept glancing away, but didn't move when she touched him on the cheek.

"I still love you, too." His bright green eyes darted to her face. She could see so much in his gaze; hope that they still had a chance, relief that she felt that way...and panic that he was put in such a compromising situation.

* * *

_En El Cielo...  
_Bruce held Diana close as they swayed lightly to the music. He tried his best to not chuckle at her confused glances up at his face. He waited, suspending his explanation. He wanted to see how she would approach this.

"Uh...Bruce?"

"Hmm?" He dipped her down, effectively stopping her from asking her question. She frowned at him as he brought her back up to his chest.

"Why was there a dedication to Shayera?"

"Because I asked for one." She reluctantly followed his lead into a turn, keeping her eyes on him as she glared.

"Uh huh. And why did you ask for one?"

"Because I knew she would be listening." He was ready to try another move when he felt her pinch his side. "Ow! What was that for?"

"That was for you distracting me and trying to draw me out. Now, let's try that again. Why did you dedicate a song to Shayera?"

"That wasn't nice, especially since I'm trying to help out a friend...hey!" He tried to move out of the way of her raised fingers poised to pinch him again. "Okay, how about you try to find out what's going on, and I'll let you know if you're on the right track. Let's call it...interrogation tactics 101."

"Hmm…I don't know if I can use the same tactics that you do. I don't like to intimidate my suspects, and throwing you around will only get us in more trouble."

"Hey, I didn't hear you complaining about my methods. You liked them, admit it." She gave a noncommittal shrug of the shoulder, but squeezed him a little firmer around the waist. Not too hard, he wasn't Kal, she didn't want to hurt him. "So let's go by the numbers...establish the crime scene."

"The Watchtower, of course. I think she's still on duty, so she's in the monitor room. Also, the club band is playing the song, so there are at least two crime scenes. And perhaps one right here if I don't get an answer soon."

"Uh oh, got to do this quick. So now, line up the suspects. Who are they?"

"Shayera, who can hear the song I assume?" He gave a quiet nod. "Then there's a sneaky undercover vigilante who seems to have an ulterior motive for dedicating a song to another woman who's not me." She threw him an accusing glare. He kissed her on the nose.

"Of course he does. He wouldn't be so suicidal to two-time the Amazon Champion while she's holding him in her vice grip. Continue."

"Continue? Who else is there?"

"Think. Ask a few questions of the evidence. For instance, the song."

"Hmmm…that is a good question. It's in Spanish. What does it say?"

"It's about a love triangle with a man who's in love with a taken woman - its one of Rosita's favorites. She told me it reminded her of how her husband pursued her when they were younger. Stole her right from under another man's nose."

"Shay would know something about love triangles. But does she even know what it says?"

"Nope."

"But then how would she know...ah! This isn't about Shayera at all, is it? The other suspect is John. And somehow, he would have to be with her to hear the dedication."

"Uncovered like a true detective. Though it's actually about both of them, something that they need to resolve. I sent John on a small assignment before I left. By the time he finished, he would have reported to the monitor room to contribute his information to the report I gave Shayera. Right around the time I told her to tune into a specific radio frequency. I'm just giving Shay a little ammunition to bring this to the conclusion she wants it to be."

"She wants him back, that's obvious. But he's with Vixen now. He's not going to leave her."

"I'm not so sure about that. We've seen how they interact with each other. Seriously, were we that obvious?"

"I don't think so, but they already had an established relationship, so everyone knew to look for it. Even Vixen, who can't feel that great about having Shay back in the League. Though I may have helped them find some common ground when I nearly kicked their butts during the Glamour Slam."

"See, you can use the same tactics as me when highly motivated."

"And under mind control."

"There is that."

"So, you set up a situation where John hears a dedication to Shayera, and he understands the words to the song but she doesn't. What exactly are you trying to tell him?"

"Its code for John to stop being so stubborn. He's fooling himself if he's stringing along another woman just to avoid something that he may or may not do. He called me out on my hesitation on being with you. I'm paying him back, and then some. And I wanted to do something for Shayera for pushing us together. This is a chance to take back what she gave up. The rest is up to her."

"Hmmm…equal opportunity meddling?"

"Exactly. Though I prefer thinking about it as hitting two birds with one batarang - get them both at the same time. And a bit of alpha wolf intimidation doesn't hurt either. Shayera probably told him I made the dedication. Nothing motivates a man like another trying to take his woman." Diana smirked at that last tactic. She wondered if he was aware that his insecurity with Kal was one of the factors that pushed Bruce into her arms.

"I see. And what does this have to do with you telling me all of this." He looked into her eyes at her perception. "I'm being trained by one of the best detectives in the world. I can see that there was another layer to this confession. Why does this feel like you're preparing tell me something else?"

* * *

_En la ciudad de Gotham...  
_"Good evening, Nightwing. Is this the truck I'm supposed to off load?"

"Hey, Jordan. Yeah, that's it. Those tanks inside are what are important. Do you need help with any of this?"

"No. I'll just levitate them a few at a time onto the Javelin."

"Not that it's not good to see you, but why were you the one asked to come? Why not Supes or Flash, or any other leaguer on duty. There are plenty that can pilot a Javelin just fine."

"But they'd still have to handle these by hand, even with a gravitational unit. Its safer if I do it with my ring."

"What's so dangerous about these, anyway? Why the kid glove treatment?"

"It may have to do with the almost destroyed containment unit GL Stewart and Superman left on the moon."

"The what?" Dick was starting to see the severity of the tanks in front of him. He took a step away from them.

"Stewart helped Superman isolate a lab container that was compromised during one of Batman's experiments. Seems that whatever he was investigating started dissolving through the unit after prolonged exposure. Bats jettisoned it into space before it got any worse. And that was on glass and steel. I'd hate to see what this would have done if it had come in contact with flesh."

'_Don't want to lose you.'_ "Yeah, I see what you mean. Well, if I'm not needed, do you mind if I take to the sky? I've been down here almost all night. Starting to feel a little antsy." _And I want to put some distance between those things and me._

"Sure, no problem. It shouldn't take me much longer to get these on board, but I have to secure them for the transport as well. It's going to take a little longer to get these to where they're supposed to go."

"What, they're not going to the Watchtower?"

"No, new standing orders from the Big Three - no foreign substances allowed on the 'Tower until further notice. All suspicious containers are quarantined on the moon for inspection before they are allowed on the station. I don't blame them. If this stuff could eat through steel, we don't need it cutting a hole into the station's hull."

"Okay, well you be careful. I'll be on the roof until you finish. If something happens I'll radio Oracle to send down support. I'll have Bats at my fingertips, too." _If he's paying any attention to his comm now. Stop distracting him, Diana!_

"Thanks, Nightwing. I'm going to contain myself in a force field, so I should be okay. Get on now; I don't want to start until you're gone." Dick didn't need to be told twice to hightail it out of there. He aimed a grapple gun to the top of the building and fired a tow line. Once secure, he activated the gear unit and let it pull him upwards. He started feeling more at home as he rose through the night sky. Bats were aerial creatures. He needed to unfurl his wings for a while.

* * *

_En La Watchtower…  
_Shayera stared at John, waiting for him to react to her confession. He glanced back and forth between her and the door, like he was deciding if he should make a hasty exit or hash it out with the beautiful winged warrior. He reached up and took her hand off his cheek, but didn't let go of her wrist.

"Shayera, this is a bad idea. I already told you why I wouldn't leave Vixen. I won't have you trying to get in her way..."

"I have absolutely no problem with Mari. I think she's a great woman and I respect her as a warrior. And she has fabulous fashion sense. I actually think she deserves better than you."

"Excuse me?"

"John, you told me that you didn't want to be destiny's puppet. Well, I think that's bullshit. You're hiding behind her so you won't run into what you've seen in the future. You're afraid that being with me would be like accepting what someone or something has predestined for you. But you're also stringing a good woman along, using her as a shield for something that's inevitable. Or not.

"Who cares what you saw in the future! What if we have a son, or a daughter, or decide to keep a house of cats? You love me and I love you."

"Shay, it's not that simple..."

"Why? It could be simple, but you're the one making it difficult. If you hadn't found out about our son, would you have stayed with her when I returned?" John opened his mouth, but closed it without a sound. He wasn't sure if he could answer that question. Shay saw his hesitation and kept the pressure on. She learned a thing or two being interrogated by Batman.

"Can you honestly say that you feel the same way for her?" He started to talk. "No, really, can you?"

"I care for her very deeply." Shayera scoffed at his choice of words, crossing her arms across her chest. "You just said that she's a great woman. Why wouldn't I want to be with her?"

"I'm not going to help you find excuses for why you should stay with her. If you haven't noticed, I just told you that I still loved you. And, get this, you said the same thing. So, it looks like you have a problem on your hands."

"Not if I decided to forget any of this ever happened."

"But it did. And you can't. You know how I know?" She snatched his arm and reached into his other glove, pulling out her other feather. "You never really let me go."

"Shay..."

"I'm putting you on notice, right now. I'm going to be watching you closely. And when you least expect it, when you think that your world is exactly the way you want it to be - I'm going to jump and take you down."

"Wait a minute! I thought you said you loved me!"

"Yes, I do. And I'm going to fight for you every way I know how. You think I'll be taking on Mari? No, she's going to have to make her own decision if she wants to stay with someone that has feelings for two women at the same time. I hope she gives up, that'll make my fight easier. But I won't stop. I can't. I love you too much to let you go."

"Do I have any say in this?"

"Yes, you do. Choose me." She held up the feather, giving him a chance to tell her what he wanted to do. She was prepared to have another feather incinerated on her behalf...

John slowly took the feather and tucked it back into his glove. "I've gotten used to it being here. It's like an irritation that I miss when its gone."

"You know that's how pearls are made. Constant irritation."

"Random fact number 89."

"I thought that was number 75. Guess we need to revisit our randomness notes."

"How's this for random - what the hell is going on between you and Bruce anyway?"

"It's exactly the way I told you. He was the one who gave me hope while I was in exile, though he didn't know that I was watching him. I told him this when he came in to give me the report and thank me for setting him up with Diana. He also gave me the radio frequency for the club he and Diana were going to be at..." Shay stopped talking when she realized she had spoken too much.

"Wait. Why do I have the feeling that this was a setup?" John inspected the room as if he could find evidence for the situation. He walked up to the console and checked the radio frequency piping in the music. "This is tuned into a pin transmitter frequency. He had to set these up around a perimeter for these to work. He knew I was going to be here after finishing that assignment he sent me on. That son of a …" John glared at her. "And you let me think there was something going on between the two of you."

"You were played by the biggest player of them all. Oh, and Bruce might have had something to with it, too." Shay leaned back with her arms across her chest, a self-satisfied smirk on her face. "I fooled all of you, making you believe that I was just a visitor. You should know by now that I can mask an ulterior motive when I want to."

"Well I got your number, missy. I know your motive now. And I'll be watching you, too."

"I hope so. Maybe you'll remember why you fell in love with me in the first place."

"That's not hard. You grew on me. Like fungus."

"Awww...you're just sore because now you have to watch your back. Don't worry, when I jump, you'll like it."

"Oh really, how s..." Shayera flung herself into arms and kissed him with all she had. She wrapped him in her wings and held him around his neck, putting her hand to the back of his head to keep his lips on hers. After a while, she let go when he started responding to her in kind. The music from the comm continued in the background, a soundtrack to their predicament:

_Qué lio es, chico chico chico_

Shayera gave him one more soft kiss, savoring the flavor she had missed for so long. Green eyes met green eyes, one pair glowing in the love she still felt, the other pair...just glowing. John gently disengaged her arms from around his neck, lightly setting them to her side. He was about to turn and leave when he gave in to one more impulse; he reached over to her, caressed her cheek, and then let his fingers gently travel along the ridge of her wing.

Shay watched as he snatched his hand back, curled it into a fist, and dropped it to his side. He looked into her eyes one more time and walked out the door. She stood there as the hatch closed behind him. She reached up and touched her lips, then her cheek.

Slowly a smile spread across her lips. Then the smile grew to a grin. She tried to hold it back, really...

The laugh bubbled up like lava spewing out a volcano. She jumped around the room, arms up in the air in victory. She wanted to run, to fly, to dance.

She nearly fell over when she tried to sit in the monitor chair. She just let herself spin round and round, reveling in the new feeling threatening to take over her chest - hope.

"_Obrigada, _Bruce_! Obrigada obrigada obrigadaaaaa!"_

* * *

_En El Cielo…  
_"Wow. Didn't think the cross-examination came this early in the investigation..."

"Bruce, what else is going on here? Your involvement with Shay and John's private life is a little strange. You know something is going to happen and you're trying to make sure that it does."

"What makes you think that?"

"You just said it. 'He's fooling himself if he's stringing along another woman just to avoid something that he may or may not do.' Its like you know what those options are."

"I'm impressed! You're picking up on finding the clues in the suspect's answers."

"And you're picking up my talent for changing the subject. 'Fess up, Bruce. What's going on?"

Bruce sighed and pulled Diana into his arms. "What if I told you I was trying help Shay and John get back together because we met their son in the future?"

"Whoa! They have a son? What's his name, what is he like…what do you mean 'we'?"

"I mean John, myself…and you." Diana gasped at his confession. "We met Rex Stewart, Warhawk, in a future version of Gotham while chasing a thief that could travel through time. Things didn't look like they were going too well for Gotham or the League. Gotham had become the new headquarters and Rex was one of the few leaguer left. But that wasn't the only person we met.

"Diana, we saw me, my future self, and I didn't like what I saw. I knew I was going to grow old, but, damn, I become one mean son of a bitch! So bitter and alone. But then you disappeared right in front of my…our eyes, and I could see that you meant something to him…me. Damn, time travel can get confusing sometimes."

"I disappeared? How did that happen?"

"The criminal, Chronos, was messing with the timeline and you somehow got erased or didn't meet us. John and I were able to fix it and we restored the stream. We returned to the time when the whole thing started, and you didn't have a clue that it even happened. I was so happy to see you, I almost grabbed you right in front of everyone and hugged you."

"I definitely would have remembered that. But, why did you keep this a secret from me? Why didn't you tell me about this until now? Here, on this night?"

"I realized that if you were going to know about Rex, you might as well know everything. Plus, it didn't feel right keeping this secret from you any longer. We've revealed so much to each other that I wanted to make sure you knew. Diana, why do you look upset?"

"So, you saw me disappear and figured your future self had lost me somehow?" Bruce looked at her in confusion. "You don't make any mention of seeing a future me there. And you say that it seemed as if future you had feelings for me. Are you sure I wasn't there?"

"Not that I could see. Why?"

"Because, Bruce, if we're together now and we're not then, something must have happened to us – or to me. Because I know for a fact that there would have to be something very drastic to take me away from you. And you wouldn't have become so bitter if I was there to watch over you. I wouldn't have let it happen."

"Diana, what do you know about this? You don't even remember meeting future me."

Diana walked away from him and pulled a chair from one of the dining tables. She sat down and laid her head in her hands. Bruce kneeled down in front her, wondering about her turn of emotions. When she lifted her head, he was glad to see that she wasn't crying, but concerned about the angry expression on her face.

"I wish you had told me this sooner. I'm not happy that you kept this from me." She glared at Bruce, giving him a look that would make his internal bat fly away from the challenge. Bruce leaned back, surprised at her reaction.

"I'm sorry! I had no idea that you would have reacted this way. I didn't think it was all that important since everything turned out okay."

"No, that's not what I'm angry about! So, yes, you should have told me about the incident right after it happened. That's something you took upon yourself to hold back from me. But what I'm most mad about is the time that has passed between then and now. So much lost, when we could have had more…"

"What are you talking about Diana? We could have had what? More time? We have all the time in the world, or at least all the time we want to devote to each other." Bruce paused. "Right?" That one word held a world of insecurity.

"I'm not too sure about that now. I wasn't sure if what I knew would even happen until you told me about your future self, alone. I wouldn't have let that happen. So what she said must have come true…"

"Who said what? Diana, please, you're starting to scare me." Her head darted towards him, astonished that he would say such words to her. She noted the lost look on his face, realizing that seeing his future self impacted him more than he let on.

"Harbinger."

* * *

_En la Watchtower…  
_John had been looking forward to the rest of the night while he was inspecting the wrecked lab container on the moon. He played through the possible scenarios Vixen whispered to Diana on the 'Tower promenade - something physically impossible, and as a treat for him. And he'd need recovery time? Very intriguing.

Now he approached his girlfriend's quarters with trepidation. A night of passion was the farthest from his thoughts as he stood outside her door. His mind swirled with the conversation he just had. What did he feel...and for whom? He was about to push the door intercom when it swished open and a pouncing body hit him.

"Gotcha!" Mari wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her body up against his. He usually would have reveled in her voluptuous figure, toned from her animalistic powers and movements, and definitely all woman. But he could only think about a missing pair of wings. She leaned into welcome him with a kiss, but he moved his head out of the way, making her lips land on his cheek instead of his mouth.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I forgot. You don't like PDA. Come on then, let's get you inside! I have a few ideas we can start with. I hope your power ring is fully charged…"

"Mari, wait. I need to talk to you about something."

"Really? Then let's talk while we get more comfortable. I have some champagne on ice and our favorite Chinese take-out…"

"I think that's going to have to wait, too. I need to tell you something important. Something about my future son."

Mari gasped…then smiled. "Our son? You know something about him? Oh, tell me, I'm so excited!"

* * *

_En El Cielo…  
_Bruce stared intently at Diana. "Lyla told you that something happened to you? What was it? Why does it keep you from being with me in the future?"

"Bruce. I don't know if I want to tell you what I know. I just want to enjoy our time together, as much as we have."

"No, Diana. You can't just spring something like this on me and think I won't want to know the details. If there's something I can do to help you, you need to tell me."

"I'm not even sure Lyla knew everything. She said that there was a haze over the vision, that it seemed like certain decisions hadn't been made yet."

"Stop stalling, Diana! Tell me! What happens to you? Maybe I can divert it, find a way of fixing it."

"That's the problem, Bruce! I don't know what happens! When she approached me, she said that she saw me sometime in the future – bloody and lifeless. She couldn't tell if I was alive or not. She said that someone was holding me, and had wrapped me in a black cloth. She said she could hear someone screaming my name, over and over, begging me to hold on. She couldn't see who it was.

"But then you visited Themyscira to check on Kara. Lyla took one look at you, and pointed at your cloak. Her eyes told me everything. Her vision saw me wrapped in your cape. You were the one screaming."

Bruce stared into Diana's eyes. He couldn't tell if the blurry vision was caused by his lack of breathing or the tears that threatened to fall. _No. Not again. I can't go through that again. Why do I have to keep losing the people I love..._ He violently shook his head, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand. "No, I refuse to believe that. Lyla has been wrong before. She thought it was Kara in danger when she was in fact seeing her own death."

"Bruce, you said it yourself. I was not there with you in the future. Even if I had happened to be away, do you think you would have grown so bitter if I was there with you? You even said that the future you looked at me as if seeing me all over again. Something happens to me. And it separates us."

Bruce bowed his head at her last statement. She ran her fingers through his hair, trying to bring him comfort. _Wow, this was a sure way of ruining a great date night. And it was going so well..._

Diana nearly gasped when he raised his head, staring into her eyes, the bat glaring steel right back at her. "You are so like your mother, Diana. You accept things with too much faith when they're delivered to you as if the gods decreed it. Well, guess what? I don't. I don't care if Zeus himself said you were going to die next Tuesday at twelve o'clock Pacific time. I'm going to be there by your side, telling him to back the fuck off my woman, you're not going anywhere."

"Bruce! I don't want you to go up against the gods over this. I'm just telling you what she saw. Your story showed me that it might have possibly happened..."

"No. You seemed to have taken her vision to heart and prepared yourself for the inevitable. You feel as if time is against us, and that we have only a small amount to be together. I refuse to believe that. We're going to have as much time as we can make for each other. And if this incident should ever happen, you will not be dying in my arms. You will hold on. And you will survive - for me."

"How can you be so sure of that, Bruce? You're even manipulating Shay and John so their son will be born. What if that's what starts all of this?"

"I'm trying to get them together not to ensure that their son is born, but because they had a son they must have had felt something for each other. None of this is written in stone. Just our awareness can be changing things. I really don't want to get into quantum physics and string theory, it gives me a headache. But I don't want to live as if we're sitting on a ticking time bomb."

"In all these centuries I've lived, I have never met a soul as stubborn as yours, Bruce. If anyone could defy the gods, it would be you. The Fates must be having fits when it comes to measuring out your life line."

"The Fates have nothing to do with it. I'm making a choice not to become that man I saw in the future. I'm telling you now, Princess, you should be making a choice, too. You're going to be in the future with me, making me the happiest old son of a bitch in Gotham." Diana's startled expression lifted into glowing grin as she pictured Bruce as an old man.

_He'd still be beautiful to me..._

_No. Not our son. My son with Shayera._

"We're going to make our own future perfect, our way. No matter what."

Bruce and Diana confirmed their challenge to the future with a kiss. The power from the charms' explosion reverberated away from them…

_A sorceress screamed as the rebound hit her..._

_A young bat ducked as a bright light struck him from across the bay..._

_A queen jumped up from her bed, running to her window wondering why she heard her daughter's thoughts..._

_A pair of cold, sapphire eyes light up with the first glimmer of hope he's felt in years. He glances up at the young, winged man sitting across from him. "It's happened. Time to prepare."_

The couple heard the crowd cry out on the almost forgotten dance floor as electrical circuits overloaded, cutting off all the lights. The musicians abruptly stopped performing, startled at the sudden power outage. The only light visible was that coming from the distance city skyline. The lone couple outside jumped up from their kiss, seeing the chaos they caused. They looked into each other's eyes, and said one word to each other...together...

"Oops."

* * *

_*My God, help me / I want to forget / help me, help me, / help me forget her, I'm begging you, help me. / Oh! I love her so much and no... I don't want to lose her. What a problem, boy - Qué Lío _- Marc Anthony


	9. Suavemente, Con Amor

_*Suavemente, Con Amor_ - Gently, With Love

* * *

_*Qué alegría sí señor /Aquí con toda mi gente / Y con gran admiración / Brindo esta celebración/ __De mis raices trascendentes - La Tradicion, Gloria Estefan_

* * *

_"How is it that everything goes back to your mission? Even us, my love for you, somehow get warped back to your mission. How do you do that? How can you be so single minded..."_  
_"Diana, please stop. You're digging too deep." _  
_"Why should I? What am I about to hit by digging deeper? Am I actually about to make the otherwise controlled Batman actually tell me how he feels? Because gods forbid that he tells me he loves me..."  
Two Days - Training Room: Thursday Evening_

* * *

Bruce wasn't surprised to feel the communicator vibrate in his pocket. He glanced up at Diana, giving her a questioning look. She peered down, seeing his hand ready to pull out the offending tech. She pulled a chair over to the one beside her, motioning that they should sit down. "You know we're in trouble. We might as well get comfortable."

"We could just ignore it. You know, the music was too loud, we were busy..." The comm vibrated again.

"We can't do that. What if he needs help?"

"Fine. But if he asks what happened, I'm going to say it was all your fault." He ignored her outraged expression and pulled out his communicator. As expected, he read the lines of irate texts.

::GODDAMNIT SITREP!::

::PICK UP OR YOU DO YOUR OWN DAMN PATROLS THIS WEEKEND!::

Bruce sighed at his son's show of dominance. ::I'm here::

::It's about time. Can you talk?:: Bruce glanced around. He realized that they hadn't been disturbed the whole time they were on the patio. He wondered why that was.

::Yes, can talk. I'll call you::

Diana watched as Bruce reached into his other pocket and took out a small ear piece communicator. "Are you going to talk to Dick now?" At his nod, she reached into her bodice, and pulled her ear comm out as well. "Patch me in, too. You shouldn't have to get chewed out alone." Bruce eyed her cleavage, then her ear comm. "What? Where else was I going to put it?"

Shaking his head in admiration, and wondering what else she had in there, he pressed a few buttons on his comm unit. His finger hovered over the 'send' button, then landed with a resigned push.

"What the hell, guys! Can you show any restraint? What part of 'stop kissing' did you not understand?"

"Hi, Dick." Both Bruce and Diana greeted the younger hero.

"Oh, good. I have both of you on the line. By the way...hey Di. How are ya?"

"I'm alright. You?"

"Oh, I'm just dandy. I was nearly blinded by a flash of light and I have a furious sorceress blowing up my comm, but I'm good."

"You saw a flash of light?" Bruce reached over to Diana's charm, holding the opal in his palm. The gem was dark, but he could feel the energy emanating from it. One didn't have to be magical to sense its power. It was almost hot to the touch.

"Yeah, it nearly knocked me over."

"So it had a percussive effect as well. How interesting..." Bruce filed this away in his impressive memory. He hadn't felt anything when he kissed Diana.

"Well, whatever effect it had, you guys are going to be the ones talking to Zatanna now. I'm over getting the brunt of her yelling. I'm going to patch her through and enjoy listening to her wring you out." The addition of the extra line was almost unperceivable, except for the incessant tap of a fingernail on a receiver.

"I am sooo done with the both of you, it's not even funny." The couple glanced at each other in shame.

"Sorry, Zee. We kind of got carried away." Diana tried putting as much sympathy as she could into her voice for the poor magician.

"Save it, Princess. I know what you two have been up to and all I got to say is, seriously, get a room. You have access to a manor that has dozens. Pick one. Let's take care of these charms first so you guys don't really kill me. Though, it would probably be a really great way to go...

"Oh, and...Bruce, I'll always love ya, but I'm so over you. If being with you is always this intense, I just can't take it. And Di? Good luck. Better you than me. Just...don't let him keep you hanging like that, okay? Damned frustrating."

"Well, the sooner you stop lecturing us, the sooner I can take care of that." Bruce had three voices tangled in his ear, each commenting on his openly suggestive statement. Diana reached over and gave him a push on the shoulder, while Dick laughed out his outrage.

"I totally share that sentiment." They all went silent at Zee's pronouncement. "Hey, someone should get happy out of this situation. Might as well be her."

"Um, right. So, is there a reason why you wanted to talk to us, or do you just want to yell at us for stringing you along?"

"Actually, Bruce, there is a reason for this call. You've overpowered the charms. And yes, I mean 'you'."

"Me? What did I do?"

"Bruce, oh my, you are so preciously clueless...how can I put this? You hold so many intense emotions close to you, it's a surprise you haven't gone completely neurotic. Your sense of focus, justice, revenge, and the dark places you go to in your head - it's what drives you.

"Your almost fanatical control over your emotions had the charms rebounding back to you to get you to let them go. And when you did, it was like an explosion of your true feelings, of who you truly are. I don't think anyone other than Diana could have withstood that. But then, she was the one strong enough to get them out of you.

"And then you two kept sharing secrets with each other! One trio of secrets and a binder were enough to activate the spell. You added two more. Include Diana's inherent magical creation and your almost overwhelming love for one another, you have a recipe for overload. I wish I had seen this when I cast the spell, but I had no idea that it would grow this big! What we need to do is dissipate the energy stored in the gems before it takes out the entire city."

"Whoa, wait a minute. It can't be that bad, Zee. My emotions aren't that strong..."

"No? Dick, when you were hit by the light, what did you hear?"

"Um, I don't think I want to..."

"Come on, Dick. I know you felt it. So did I. Tell him."

The other three on the line heard the young man sigh. "Okay, fine, whatever...I love you, too, dad."

Diana glanced over to the man at her side. He had his head bowed down, and he was pinching the bridge of his nose as if holding back a thought - or an emotion. "Yeah, well...don't you forget it either."

"No prob."

"Diana...never mind. They're your problem now. Anyways, Dick, you were on the other side of Gotham when you felt that, and that was just from the shock of the light. If we don't get some of this energy out of the charms, well, you two will never be recognized again and we could have an entire city telling everyone just what they think of each other."

"Okay, now you caught my attention. What do we have to do to get this done?" Diana wasn't surprised that Bruce was ready to take on the problem. She watched as he went into Bat mode and started analyzing the situation. He was always ready to protect his city...

"That's Diana's job."

Diana leaned back in her chair, rubbing her hands over her face. She was suddenly feeling very tired. "Why am I supposed to do this?"

"Because you've shown you can. He was the source of much of the intense energy the gems absorbed. You will be the peaceful energy to dissipate it. I felt how you pushed back the gems' rebound off Bruce. You took his heightened emotions and calmed him down. You gave back the yin to his yang...shut up Bruce, I can feel what you're thinking." Bruce opened his hands, silently gesturing to Diana like he didn't know what she was talking about.

"Diana, you are in many ways Bruce's complementary opposite. You are the light to his darkness, the peace to his chaos. But he also helps dim the light that can blind you. He tempers your absolute faith with solid reason, and his mortality helps bring meaning to your immortality. These could be some of the reasons you were attracted to each other in the first place. That, and you both are fabulously hot. Can't help but notice that.

"Some would think that you are too different to be together, but you actually balance each other out. I could feel that when you were helping him, Diana. And how he helped you with his sheer force of will when you needed to come down off your high, too."

"See, I knew she was good for you, Bruce!" Dick chimed in.

"You felt all of this just in this short time you were linked to us?" Diana asked.

"Your thoughts became clearer and clearer with each kiss you shared. And you guys were kissing a lot!"

"Yeah, well, how about telling us how to reverse the consequences of said kissing." Bruce felt uncomfortable having so much of his innermost thoughts being discussed in such a roundtable method.

"That's going to take some work on Diana's part. Because the charms are so attuned to the both of you, you can't receive the energy back into yourselves. The charms would only reach out and try to take it back. With that type of power loop, you both would either end up weakened by the drain, or overcome by the emotions you feel for each other. I would think it would be the latter, and you would also trade personality traits since the energy would start mixing together. I don't think a brooding Diana would be a good idea." Diana hid a smirk at Zee's jab at Bruce. He in turn glared at Diana.

"What? I think a sassy Bruce would be cute." She gave him her signature cheeky smile. They all heard Dick snort a laugh.

"Focus, people. We need to fix this." His expression softened when she gave him a fake pout. He shook his head at her sassiness.

"What if we just take the charms off after we leave here? Then whatever Bruce and I do won't affect them anymore."

"Bruce, tell Diana what happens to a nuclear bomb if its left unattended without proper containment."

"It becomes unstable and contaminates the area with radiation, then explodes when it destabilizes. Okay, I think she gets it. What does she need to do?"

"She needs to focus the energy back towards the thirds of the spell. Each time the charms discharged, there was that other person who contributed to the power the gems took in. She has to work backwards and return that energy to them. That should dissipate enough magic to let you take those off and store them carefully. Then you will bring them back to me so I could put that stopgap on them."

"Wait, don't you want to take these after all that has happened with them?" Diana really didn't want to let them go, she enjoyed being incognito with Bruce.

"No, they're now so tuned into your auras, no one else will be able to use them. It would be a shame to let them go to waste. Besides, don't you want to be invisible now and then? Both of you? You can use them anytime you want. Just try not to do so until I've fixed them."

"Nice. So how exactly should I do this?"

"Think back, in succession, who your thirds were." Diana gave Bruce a small smile.

"Lining up the suspects, huh?" He smiled, nodding back to her. He took her hand and lightly held it. She unconsciously started caressing his fingers. "Let's see, the last one was..."

"No! Don't say them out loud. They shared secrets with you. This won't work if you reveal who they are. Think of them, picture them in your head." Diana understood what Zee meant. Each held something close to their innermost heart. She couldn't betray that trust...

_John...Mother...Shayera...Zatanna_

"Good. Now feel what their secrets were, and give them the yin to their yang, the mirror of their hopes and dreams. Imagine you're pushing it towards them."

_John...follow what your heart truly desires. It won't lead you wrong._

_Mother...thank you for letting me love who I wanted. You were never alone-I was there._

_Shayera...know that you are forgiven, sister. Welcome home._

_Zatanna...you will find love one day. Thank you for giving us yours._

The others on the line could hear a small sniffle. "Thank you Diana, I felt that." Zee cleared her throat of the emotion. "Okay now, very gently...Bruce, kiss Diana."

"Now this I can do." With a tenderness he rarely gave to anyone, Bruce leaned in and gently kissed Diana on the lips. _Suavemente_ was the word that kept going through his head. _Con amor_, was the echo he heard from Diana. The energy from the gems slowly dissipated in a dim glow of blue light. Unlike when the charms were dramatically activated, this time, a small cloud lifted from the gems. It swirled like a small tornado, and then disappeared.

"Oh yeah. That's much better. Quick Bruce, think of your favorite part of Diana's body. Yes! I didn't feel that!" Diana glanced at Bruce - he averted his eyes. She knew what he was looking at.

"So that's it? That's all they have to do?" Dick seemed a little let down after all the drama he had been put through.

"Well, they have to refrain from any intense emotions until they can take those off safely, but yes, that's it. Magic doesn't have to be all light and explosions. As long as the genuine intent is there, that's sometimes all it takes."

Bruce and Diana stared into each other's eyes, still feeling the effects of hearing the other's thoughts. Knowing that they were no longer sharing them made it feel more intimate, private. Bruce reached over and caressed Diana's cheek with the back of his fingers. She reached up and took his hand in hers, kissing his fingers gently. They both looked up when they heard the power come back on in the club. Cheers rose from the crowd. Seems very few left when the lights went off.

The tap tap tapping of a drum brought more applauds as the band struck up a Cuban beat, the dancers clapping along as the bass line joined in. It seemed like a lifetime ago since the couple had danced on that floor. Diana smiled at the sound of the music. Life goes on, got to live it to the fullest.

"Hey, is that Latin music I hear in the background?" Dick sounded excited.

"Yeah, so?" Bruce barely paid attention to him.

"Yes! That was the last clue I needed. I know where you are!" He sang that last part, taunting his father.

"What?"

"I had a few clues that led me to you. How do you think I knew to talk to Zatanna?"

"Who. Told." Every other person on the line cringed at the Bat coming through the comm.

"You know I don't share informant information. Let's just say, you left a trail of breadcrumbs that a Bat could follow."

"You know bats are blind, right?" Bruce glared at Diana's comment. "Well, you were. Took you long enough to see us, too."

"Actually, Di, that's a common misconception. Us bats are really quite perceptive. Well, most of us. Can't speak for him." Bruce didn't appreciate his son and girlfriend ganging up on him. He knew this was going to be a problem...for the rest of his life.

"So, come on Dick! Where are they? Don't keep me hanging. I saw the beginning of this, I want to know where it ended up."

"Zee, do you know about _El Club Cielo_?"

"Oooh, yeah! That place is sooo hot! And the Latina owner. She's a hot pepper, that's for sure!"

"Well, I can see from up here that there is only one building with their lights on across the bay. That's the Latin quarter over there, and the club is right on the water front. The light that hit me also came from that area, which is where our dynamic duo is right now. And with the music in the background, I put all those clues together. Bruce, you've been doing the Lambada with Di, haven't you?"

"_Cállate, mijo. No te incumbe." _

_"_Awww, you haven't called me that in a while!"

"You liked that he told you to shut up and mind your own business?" Zee sounded sufficiently confused.

"No, he called me _mijo. _He said 'my son'!"

"And we have progress." Diana squeezed Bruce's hand. He looked away, a slight smirk on his face.

"So…Dick. What are you up to? How long are you on patrol tonight?" Bruce narrowed his eyes at Zee's tone. He recognized that tone. _  
_

"Well, usually it goes on to at least three or four in the morning, depending on...uh, you know, I think Friday nights were usually short nights."

"What? No they're not. Those are the nights you have to keep your eyes open the most."

"Bruce, why don't you let Dick go a little early tonight? He's been a trooper having to put up with all of this." Diana was trying to give Bruce a hint.

"But it's not even Midnight yet. There are still certain areas that have to be looked after."

"Hey Zee. What sector are you in?"

"I'm at the theater where I perform my show."

"Great! I haven't patrolled that area yet. Be right over!"

"Yay! Don't forget to bring a carrot!" _Click!_

"Whoa, wait a minute...Dick? Zatanna?" Bruce glanced over to Diana in confusion. "Did they just hang up on me?"

Diana leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. "Its a little too late to father him now, Bruce. He's probably more like you, growing his reputation and such."

"That's what I'm worried about. She's way too old for him."

"Uh, what's the saying about kettles and pots? How old do you think I am?"

"You're different. You're forever young."

"Well, I'm not getting any younger. I'm ready to go now. We have some unfinished business to attend to."

"Yes ma'am, I believe we do." They leaned in to get a head start on finishing their business when Diana's charm hit Bruce on the chest. "Um, I think we should wait before we start anything again."

"Good idea." She stood up, still holding Bruce's hand. He gently kissed her fingers, and let her help him up into a standing position. Diana got a quick vision of doing the same thing, far into the future. Hand in hand, they made their way towards the club door. Bruce was startled to find he couldn't open it.

"What the...? Why is this locked? Isn't that a fire hazard?" He was surprised again when the door suddenly swept open, Rosita peeking her head out at them. Without a word, she grabbed both their hands and pulled them towards the end of the bar. Escorting them to a dark corner for storage, she looked back and forth between them, an excited expression on her face.

"Well, what happened? Did she say yes? I bet she did! She couldn't resist such natural charm..."

"Rosita, wait! Slow down. What are you talking about?" Instead of answering Bruce, she picked up Diana's left hand and inspected her fingers. Not seeing what she expected to be there, she gave Bruce a frustrated look, dropping Diana's hand in an insulted huff.

"_A Dios Mio!_ I thought you were proposing to her. That's why I locked the door, to give you more privacy."

"What? What makes you think that?"

"I've seen it so many times before! A young man escorts his girl out to the patio, they hide for a little lovin', then they come back out and dance for a little while. Then he sits her down, kneels before her, and then pops the question. The kisses afterwards are usually the best kisses, and yours looked so passionate! Then they talk for a while, make a few phone calls to let people know, and then come back in for more dancing."

Bruce looked back and forth between the two women. One had her hands on her hips, staring expectantly at the man, the other hiding her smile behind her hand - the hand that should have had a ring on it, according to the other woman. "Rosita, this is only our first date. Give me some time, okay?"

"Time? What time do you need? I can tell you two are meant for each other. I know these things; it's like a sixth sense. But okay, whatever. Just make sure you let me know when it happens." Rosita took Diana's hand into her own, and then tapped the charm lying on her chest.

"I don't know who you are, and I think this has something to do with it, but I think I'll be finding out soon enough, _sí_? As for him," she nodded her head towards the exasperated undercover hero "he needs someone to take care of him. He does so much for so many others, who watches after him? I think you're up to the task." She patted Diana's hand affectionately. Then she walked up to Bruce, stood on her tippy toes, and kissed him lightly on the cheek.

"_Mi cariño_, you can hide who you are from others, but not from me. I know who you are. Remember what I told you, _soy una brujita_. Gotham has all types of people, no? I can sense the influence of a spell, especially one as powerful as this one. It sure was a doozy! You definitely made this one of the more memorable nights in _El Club Cielo_, that's for sure.

"Except for that one night Batman came through here fighting _Señor_ Freeze. Left almost three feet of ice and snow around the area in the middle of summer! These _locos_ were trying to make Corona snow cones that night. Talk about resilient Gothamites." Rosita sighed. "I wonder who watches after him." With that, she gave each hero an affectionate glance. Before she could turn away, Bruce grabbed her hand and pulled her into a hug.

"_Gracias_, Rosita, for your understanding. We needed that time alone."

"_No es una problema_. Just come back for more lessons. It would be good to see both of you."

Diana glanced out to the lit dance floor. "How is it that you got your power restored when the rest of the neighborhood is still dark?"

"Don't you know? Solar panels, courtesy of Wayne Technologies. We just switched over to our backup batteries. _Adios!_"

"Do you think she knows who you are? Really?" Diana watched the Latina spitfire walk away towards her husband with two Coronas in her hand.

"I don't think so. But if she does, I'd have to put in a vote to induct her into the League, just to keep an eye on her."

"She would be a formidable hero, but I think the code name 'Fire' is already taken."

"How about 'Habañero'. Her official listed power will be 'feistiness'."

"That she is. So, ready to _adios_?"

"After all of this, would you mind just one more dance?"

"Of course not, Mr. Prince. I would love to dance with you more."

"Then let's go, Ms. Wayne. Just dancing, okay? We'll get to that other stuff soon enough."

Swinging her around to the dance floor, Bruce brought his princess into his arms. Easily they fell into step, finding the rhythm to the music. Nearby, the new couple could see Rosita and Nicholas dancing together, as if in their own little world, each holding onto their beers as they danced one-handed. So intent on each other, they did not notice young Alicia with a handsome young man on the other side of the room. They danced shyly, but with fervor that matched the cadence of the Cuban beat.

The crowd danced around them, every couple feeling the celebration in the music. Hearts lightened as they could sense a happiness permeate the air, as if the future was decided and it was good. Diana's laugh was drowned out by the energetic drumming, but her aquamarine eyes twinkled in joy as Bruce led her across floor.

* * *

_A forgotten line of magic traveled forward through space and time. It continued to grow, infinitesimally, as the rebound traveled towards its intended target. A lone figure sat in his chair, a dog his only companion. The man held his cane, though it was more for controlling his surroundings that for walking. The magic filled him...suavemente...con amor._

_A pair of tired sapphire eyes looked up from their meditation. A vision, or a memory he didn't remember having, started filtering through his mind. A light, a kiss, swirling blue energy, traveling to a castle in the sky, dancing in the setting sunlight, a challenge, heated passion and cool touches, magic...love..._

"_I don't remember this. But how I hope this is true. I know I should have danced with you, Diana, before I lost my chance. I'm going to fix this. You'll see."_

* * *

_I'm so happy, yes sir / Here with all my people / And with great admiration / I offer this celebration of my roots - La Tradicion, Gloria Estefan_

* * *

_A/N So, if you're not one for ultra sexy love scenes, I'd stop reading here. The next chapter will be super fluffy. But why? You're reading one of my stories. You know I was going there eventually! See ya tomorrow!_


	10. Quédate Conmigo

_*Quédate Conmigo - Stay with Me_

* * *

_*Cuando te miro, a ti / Lindos colores, Oh si / Te mueves tan dulce / Solo por vivir / Ah bailare / Hasta al amanecer, contigo / Oh dando vueltas / Bailare hasta al amanecer_ - _Mariposa en Havana, Si*Se_

* * *

"_...What about before? We were so close to...you know."  
__"Having sex?"  
__"Making love. Don't think I don't know the difference. I saw it in your eyes even if you don't say it."  
__"You asked to see me without the mask. No more lies, no more excuses. I wanted you and you wanted me. There wasn't anything else to do but...let it happen."  
__Two Days - Chapter 1: Text and Talk_

* * *

The convertible quietly pulled into the Manor garage. Bruce thought how the Batmobile would have announced their arrival with a primal growl of the engine. Instead, he was glad that he was able to park silently in his own home. He glanced over at his passenger, peacefully sleeping in the seat next to him, her silver wrap covering her.

He reached over and lightly brushed her hair away from her face. "Diana. Princess. We're home," he whispered. He thought about that word for a minute - home. This had always been his home; he didn't know any other. Even in his travels around the world learning his martial arts skills, his heart had always been here. It may not have always been a warm, welcoming place, but roots were planted here.

Now he was bringing home someone he would want to share it with. He wondered, would circumstances have let him meet her if his parents had lived? He tried not to think of any scenarios that would have robbed him of this warm, passionate woman who understood the darkness within him, and invited herself in to light his way.

Bruce exited the car, then walked over to the passenger side. Opening the door, he kneeled down level with the sleeping Princess. He knew it was a cliché, but when was he going to get another chance like this - a prince kissing the princess awake.

He hoped many more times after this.

He sat down on the side of the seat and angled himself to towards hers. Leaning over her relaxed body, he looked into her peaceful face. Her eyes moved under her lids; he wondered what she was dreaming about. Probably of dancing, pearlescent light, and flying above the clouds. He was glad he was able to participate in at least two of these dreams. With a thought of flying with her, he bent over and lightly kissed her on the lips.

_Suavemente. Con Amor._

"_Princesa. Estamos en la casa." _Her eyes slowly opened at the sound of his voice. She blinked a few times, and then straightened her body from its slouched position. Stretching her body in the seat, she glanced around, slightly confused. Bruce watched how her curves moved under her dress.

"Oh, Bruce! I'm sorry; I don't usually fall asleep like this. I guess we danced a lot more than I thought."

"Well, that, and you actually used some energy dissipating that spell." He took her hand to help lift her up. She moved slowly, still stiff from her sleeping position.

"Hmmm…I guess that's what it was. I'm feeling a little dizzy. You sure Rosita didn't spike our ginger ale?"

"No, she's harmless for all her bluster. Besides, she wouldn't sneak it. She'd out right dare you to take a shot."

"Sounds familiar. She and Shay would get along fine."

"Let's keep those two separated. Don't need them giving each other ideas on how to get us hitched. Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine. It's just been a very, um, charged night." She reached down to take off her shoes, despite still being in the garage. Bruce surprised her by hooking his arms under her knees and around her back, lifting her off her feet.

"Keep those on. I want to see you in those...and nothing else." Diana gazed into his eyes, seeing the desire start to bloom. She could feel her heart start to beat faster, and her breathing picked up. The way he held her, she could feel his hard muscles pressed against her. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and started leaning in for a kiss.

"Not yet, Princess. We're still wearing the charms. Don't want to destroy the city, do we?"

"They'll die happy." She did restrain from kissing him, but she laid her hand on his chest, letting her hand move past his shirt to caress his skin underneath. She could feel his heartbeat increase as well. He started walking towards the entrance to the manor, carrying his princess inside.

Glancing around, Bruce was relieved to see that no one was waiting up for him. Usually if the Batmobile was still parked in the cave, that was an indication that he was out for less dangerous business. Alfred took that to be a night off from his medical vigil, and he went straight to bed. Seeing the area was clear, Bruce continued to carry Diana towards the staircase.

"Bruce, I can walk! You don't have to carry me all the way up there. I'm okay, really. Put me down."

Bruce reluctantly followed her request. "If you insist. But know I was going to carry you all the way up to my room and, um, start round three."

"Hmm...why wait?" Slowly starting with his neck, Diana let her hand glide down his chest. She reached into his shirt and hooked the charm's chain around her finger, pulling it up and around his head. Hanging it around one of the stair banisters, she boldly circled him. As she stepped around him, she let her arm wrap around his waist and run along his backside. She let her hand linger there, giving him a little squeeze in challenge.

Taking the hint, Bruce pulled the teasing princess back to face him. He let his fingers touch the soft skin along the top of her bodice as he reached for her charm. He took pleasure in watching how her breasts raised and fell as she took a breath at his touch. Using his other hand, he moved her hair out of the way as he lifted her charm from around her neck. He hung the trouble making charm from the other banister.

"We should really get those to a safer place. What if Tim finds them?"

"We will, though I would rather find another place for them than upstairs. I intend to be as...what did you call me...intense as I can be with you tonight. Don't want to unintentionally wake those up."

"And just how intense do you intend to be?" Bruce cleared the smirk right off her face as he attacked her lips, pushing her on the staircase. He had to take her by surprise or he might find himself at the disadvantage. But there was something he wanted to do ever since he kissed her on the stairs in the cave, especially now he knew she was bare underneath her dress.

Diana nearly tripped as she found herself backed onto the steps, but she was enjoying kissing Bruce too much to care. She realized that they had finally received the privacy they needed. No inappropriate labs, open hydroponics bays, thin lead-walled training rooms, nor public dance clubs. They could love at their leisure, or their haste, as they so desired.

They reveled in each other as their kiss grew from soulful, to hungry, to desperate, to outright devouring. The hall echoed with their heavy breathing and the sound of their bodies rubbing together. A muffled moan escaped a throat, to be quickly squelched as to not wake other sleeping residence. A low laugh followed, knowing that he was winning this round so far.

Bruce wrapped an arm around Diana's waist, pulling her in closer to him as he knelt on a lower stair. This allowed him to run his other hand up her thigh, pushing her dress out of the way. She ran her fingers through his hair, her other hand tugging at the buttons on his shirt. She was seriously tired of not being able to feel his bare skin. She was nearly halfway down when he touched her on an entirely different type of button - one at the top of her legs.

She nearly dislodged him with her surprised jolt. Her squeak echoed through the hall, making him pause his touch. "Don't you dare stop, Bruce." She emphasised her demand by moving her hips closer to his hand. He answered by applying just a little more pressure.

"Mmmm...you want this? Tell me you do."

"Yes, please...oh gods, Bruce. I want this...more..." Her gasp was cut off as he covered her mouth with his own, touching her between her legs in a way he knew she would enjoy. He wanted to bring her pleasure, to the very height of feminine satisfaction, before taking his own. He knew he would be bringing her pain then.

Bruce tongue echoed the way his fingers were touching Diana, giving her a sense of him being all over her. Her low moans timed to the way her hips started moving, making it seem as if she were dancing to her own music. She was definitely following his lead.

Delighted that he was able to get this much out of her, Bruce decided to see how much more he could do. Detaching his lips from hers, he ran a succession of kisses down her neck, lingering in at the crook of her neck, remembering a sweet and salty flavor he had experienced there. He continued to stroke her, noticing how moist the area was becoming. He wondered if that was tart and tangy as well.

If Diana had been paying attention, she would have seen a smoldering glance from the man on top of her, looking down at her passion filled face. She closed her eyes to block out all other sensations other than his touch. Slowly, he covered her mouth with his own, kissing her as if he was licking an especially sweet ice cream cone. Her long moan nearly had him grinning. Then, he swiftly ducked down, replacing his finger with his tongue, giving her a whole different type of kiss...

Diana's eyes shot open at the entirely new sensation she was feeling. He was devouring her in a way she hadn't even thought about experiencing. She almost tried to move away from him, the feeling almost overwhelmingly pleasurable, but he had hooked his arms around her legs, keeping her still. She grabbed one of the spokes in the stair handrail, just trying to hold on and enjoy the ride.

Bruce received encouragement from the almost nonsensical noises she had started making. He thought he heard a mixture of Greek expletives, Spanish exclamations, and sounds that started out as words but petered off into expressions of delight. She tasted so damned sweet, he continued to eat her like she was dessert. Her '_a dios mio' _was the clearest phrase he could make out before he decided to ratchet the up intensity, just...a...little...bit...

Unhooking his arms, he scratched his nails down one leg, grazing the nook right behind her knees. The twitch from her hips told him that, yes indeed, she was ticklish there. Continuing to taste her feminine treasures, he let a finger touch her outside her entrance. Just enough to give her an idea of what was coming next. Slowly, he rubbed her here while licking her there.

Her climax took both of them by surprise. Diana arched her back off the stairs, putting her hands over her mouth to keep from screaming, eyes squeezed shut in ecstasy. Bruce felt the rush of moisture that confirmed her pleasure. He started sucking the area, making sure he didn't miss one single drop. He could feel her starting to shake. He was sure he had just made her come again.

Having mercy on her, for now, he gave the area one last lick before moving back up towards her top. He settled himself between her thighs, enjoying how she automatically hooked her legs around him. She finally opened her eyes, just in time to see him wipe his chin with the back of his hand, and lick his lips as if saying "mmmm, _delicioso_." He laid his body on top of hers, letting his arms hold his weight off of her, his elbows on either side of her on the stairs.

"So, Princess. Will you let me carry you upstairs now, or do you think you can walk?" He leaned down to lightly kiss her lips, her neck, nibble her earlobe, back to her lips...

"Hmm...um, I can...oh, nevermind. Carry me, take me here, you can do whatever you want to me. I'm yours." That one statement from Wonder Woman made Bruce Wayne feel like the luckiest man in the world. To illustrate her surrender, she let her arms flop onto the stair above her head, loose like limp noodles. He reached up, bringing her arms to rest around his neck, then hooked his arms under knees and back, like he had before she demanded her release. He liked this turn of events.

Lifting her up, he pleased to see her eyes heavily lidded in satisfaction. He was going to enjoy waking her up again. He started walking with her up the stairs until he remembered two little problems they needed to take care of. "Princess, could you get those?" He angled her down towards one of the banisters. Seeing his intent, she reached out and unhooked the charm from its hanging spot. He turn with her in his arms, letting her grab the other charm.

"You think we'll be able to use these again?" Diana held them up in front of their eyes. She thought she could see a smallest glimmer of light, but she didn't trust what she saw. She was seeing stars and sparkles of her own.

"Possibly. But let's think about that later. We have better things to do." He carried her reverently up the rest of the stairs, careful not to jostle her too much. He tried to memorize the weight of her in his arms; light enough to be feminine, solid enough to be an Amazon champion. He felt as if he could hold her for the rest of her life.

Kicking his bedroom door open, he flipped on the light with the hand under Diana's knee. He gently set her down on her feet, watching as her silver sandals touched delicately onto the thick carpet. _Those so stay on. _Silently, he took the charms from Diana's hands and walked them over to his bureau, laying them beside the bottle of cologne that had become his signature scent.

Bruce turned around and gazed at the beautiful princess waiting for him. Even after all that they've done together, and especially after what he had done to her, she still seemed so pure, so innocent. She stood there, one hand grasping a silver bracelet, her head ducked down shyly, eyes glancing up at him bashfully. She shifted her weight from one foot to the other, delicately biting her bottom lip. _What a contrast from earlier. She wasn't this shy on the dance floor. Adorable._

The alpha part of Bruce wanted to stalk up and devour her right where she stood. The man in him, the one nurtured at the lap of a British gentleman, slowly approached her, giving her a gentle touch on the arm, comforting her nervousness. "Are you sure you want to do this, Diana? I won't think less of you if you want to wait..."

"No, I do. It's just," she closed her eyes, sighing, "I can feel the displeasure of my gods. Some of them do not like what I'm...we're about to do. I can tell that there will be consequences for this, for my love for you."

"Why are you being judged so harshly, Diana? You're a woman, they made you as one. Why shouldn't you live as one?"

"Because I am their direct creation. Each god had a specific motive for making me, and two of those were virgin goddesses. And it feels as if the other gods are moving away, as if I'm consciously deciding not to be their champion. Only one really wants to stay with me. She's been waiting to, uh, bless us for a quite a while now."

"Hmmm...I always did think Aphrodite was unfairly underestimated. She has my respect, that's for sure." Bruce reached over, brushing her hair away from her cheek. "If you needed to petition them, ask them for permission, we can wait. I don't want to be the one to get you in tro..."

"No, Bruce. You were right before. I'm making a conscious choice to be happy, now, here with you. They can judge all they want. Remember - I'm willing to give up my immortality, youth and power to be with you. I love you. I won't accept living any other way."

Diana's words shot straight through Bruce's wounded heart, humbling him almost to his knees. He was made to feel small in the presence of her brave defiance, yet powerful in her love for him. He felt as if he had to say something, but couldn't think of anything else but...

"I love you so much, Diana. Stay with me, for as long as we have." He wasn't sure what he meant by it, not even sure if she knew either. But his heart was there, and he would be damned if he'd let anything take her from him. He felt a wave of confidence at her acknowledging nod. Sure that no matter what, they would face it together.

Diana glanced down at Bruce's heartfelt statement. Never would she have thought to hear such words from him. How things had changed so fast. She felt him put a finger under her chin, lifting her eyes to his. "I don't want to hurt you, but..."

"Don't worry Bruce. It will be only a momentary pain. Besides," she smiled slightly "you've done worse."

"How?" That wasn't exactly what he had expected to hear.

"Remember that time when we were sparring, and you reversed my attack and threw me head first into the wall? I actually blacked out for a few minutes. Waking up to you laughing at me was about as bad, too. I think that's way worse than anything we can do now."

"First of all, that was your own damned fault for not seeing your opening. Secondly, I knew you were okay, so I was allowed to laugh at you. And third...I guess you have a point. It's just, this is so different from throwing each other around a padded room."

"Only the first time. After that, we'll see." She appreciated how he was trying to help her make light of the situation. She honestly was nervous, but anticipating it as well. "Though, if that preview I got earlier is going to be a regular occurence, I'm ready and willing to start." She glanced up slyly at him, giving him that "come hither, take me now" look.

He knew he was blushing at her bold statement, and couldn't help but chuckle at her sass. His chuckle became contagious, making her laugh lightly at his embarrassment. Laughing together, they leaned in to share a light kiss. And as their light kisses were wont to do, it exploded into full-out desire.

All the emotions, all the lust and tension ignited as their smiles disappeared and they leaned into each other. All thoughts of gentleness and vying for domination disappeared. Now, it was simply expressing what they felt, physically. Time - past and future - lost all relevance to the present they were experiencing together.

Diana recommenced unbuttoning Bruce's shirt. She refrained from ripping it open, wanting to let him see her wear it later. Finally getting that last troublesome button open, she shoved the shirt off of him, rubbing the front of his body, lifting the white undershirt over his head. The sight and feel of his bare skin made her pause in wonder.

She had known his body was scarred from various wounds and battles, she could see a few on his arms and legs when he wore the chiton in Themyscira. But despite all that, or because, he was beyond magnificent. Slowly, she let her fingers trace the ripples of his abs, the scars on his chest, the marks along his clavicle. She lightly touched the mark she put on him, giving a slight smile at her audacity. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing her body against his, wanting to come into contact with as much of his flesh as possible.

Bruce nearly lost control as Diana explored his skin. Very few ever got to see him this exposed, despite his reputation. Her touch was feather soft, grazing areas he didn't know were sensitive. When she held him closer, he had to feel more of her. He reached behind her, found the zipper to her dress, and pulled down. The red dress, the one she had worried over only a few hours before, pooled at her feet like a scarlet petal falling off a rose.

Bruce took a step back, marveling at the most beautiful vision he had ever seen. It was like she was sculpted from marble, yet as soft as the sea-foam that bore another goddess out of the sea. He didn't realize such a contrast in pale pinks and dark brunettes could exist on a body, but he had proof standing before him. No matter what darkness Bruce found himself in later in life, the vision of a naked Diana would always light his memory on fire.

Diana boldly walked towards him, unashamed of her nakedness, reaching towards the belt that held the last pieces of clothing between them. She almost mentioned how much easier his utility belt had been to unclasp than this particular buckle, but she didn't want to break the spell. Diana let his slacks pool alongside her dress, and smirked as she let her fingers glide along the ridge of his boxer briefs. Bruce knew she was remembering a certain phone call that had made him drop the receiver, and he let her take in the irony of her question of "boxers or briefs". But before she could pull them down, he took her hands from his waist and pulled her to him.

"Not yet. Let me get you comfortable first." Leaning down, he disposed his feet of their socks and shoes, then led her to the bed across the room. He knew he was finally getting her where he had wanted her ever since she had stayed at the manor. He wanted to savor the moment for a little while longer.

He gently laid her down, helping her position herself on the middle of the bed with her heels still on. Like the way he observed her on the transporter pad, he ran his eyes along her body, taking in the details as she waited for him to join her. Her eyes, darkened to almost the cerulean color of the Mediterranean, gazing up at him with a hunger he hoped to fulfill.

Her pitch black hair surrounded her face like a halo, contrasting with the paleness of her skin. The pink tips of her breasts moved with her heavy breathing, and the dip in her torso gave way to a soft patch of dark curls. The little silver heels she wore gave her leverage to bend her long legs at the knees. They were slightly parted, waiting to welcome him home.

Bruce was so transfixed with the sight before him, he nearly forgot to move until she reached for him. Her arms stretched out, inviting him to join her. He took her offered hands, lightly by the fingertips, and moved closer to her. But before he could lay down, she stopped him. She sat up, positioned herself on her knees, bringing her close to him, face to face. She reached behind him and let her hands trace his spine and down the muscular swell of his behind. She drew down his briefs along the way.

Slightly shy, she glanced down, curious at this part of him that made them so different. She decided that every sculpture of male gods ever made was a pale comparison to the specimen in front of her. She peeked up bashfully into his eyes. He looked back, an eyebrow raised in curiosity, the playboy definitely making an appearance. She nearly bowled him over, though, with her silently mouthed "wow."

"Um, thanks?" Bruce ducked his head into her neck, blushing at the commentary of his endowment. Honestly, he's heard more explicit descriptions of himself from various witnesses that claimed to have experienced him, even though he had actually sent them on their way drunk and unfulfilled. Diana's honest and simple remark was the best compliment he could have received. He started to nuzzle her neck, breathing in her scent and gently sucking on the skin there. That turned into an almost feral bite when she started to stroke him.

Diana had never felt anything like it before. Bruce being the first man she had ever been with, his erection was something she found very curious. He was hard in his excitement, yet soft and warm at the same time. She continued to touch him, exploring the texture and weight. She didn't realize it, but she was slowly driving him insane.

He drew her hand away from him. If she continued as she was, he wouldn't be able to last. He pushed her back firmly onto the bed, letting the alpha come out and take over for a moment. He intended to take his time worshipping her...then worship her all over again.

He lifted one of her heeled feet to his shoulder, letting his eyes travel down the length of her leg and over the rest of her body. Using the most feather soft of touches, he grazed his fingers down from her ankle, over her calf, and behind her knee. He smiled at her little wiggle as she reacted to his tickle. He let that leg drop to his side, and did the same to the other leg. Gods forbid he neglect that limb, though it seemed she was more ticklish behind her right knee than her left. _Good to know. _

Using his full palms, he moved his hands up the outside of her thighs, allowing himself to move closer to her. He dipped down to nip her along her skin as he traveled up her body; hip bone, flat belly, naval, the curve of her waist, under the ribs, between and under her breasts. He teased the tip of her breast, watching it turn from pale pink to rose as her nipple hardened, then switching over to the other. His low moan reverberated through her body. She echoed his sound with a high-pitched gasp as she tried to breathe, her entire body shivering from his skillful attention.

He reached down between her legs again, wanting to make sure she was prepared for him. He rubbed her in the way she liked, bringing another rush of moisture. She started moving her hips for him, like she did when teasing him on the dance floor. He moved his lips away from her breasts, bypassing every other part of her, going straight for her mouth. He couldn't wait anymore, he had to have her.

He pushed her farther into the middle of the large king sized bed, letting him lay his entire body over her. She grasped at his shoulders, pulling him onto her, then started rubbing his muscular back in encouragement. She could feel the scars across his back, a texture bearing witness to his unbridled will to survive. This turned her on even more.

Their lips danced as they kissed like it was the last time, or the first. Bruce positioned his hips over hers, letting her feel him close to her entrance. She started moving her hips in earnest, rubbing against him, begging him for a release. He grabbed her hips and started moving with her, their rhythm heightening to the rushing pulse of their blood.

He tried to prolong the moment, allowing their bodies, their arms, their lips, their legs simply move in their desperate heat. He was getting dizzy from the increased breathing she was causing him. She was nearly delirious with desire, calling his name...begging, pleading...

They were in the right place. He wanted to give her everything she wanted, everything he had. He needed a release, she wanted more. It was the right time.

He positioned himself at her entrance...and pushed. He paused, feeling how she froze and tensed up. Her gasp became a whimper, the first of the pain taking over her. He wasn't sure if he should do it faster or slower. She didn't know, but she was a first for him, too. He had never been anyone's first...ever.

"Diana, I'm sorry. My love, I'm so sorry. I can stop..." He stared into her face, caressing her cheeks, pushing away her hair.

"No, please. Don't stop. More...show me more..." He pushed farther, moving his hips upwards and inwards. Her face screwed up in pain, a tear escaping her closed eyes. Her whimper became a sob. He hated that he was making her feel this way. But, dear gods above, she felt so good...

She didn't know how to tell him, but he wasn't the one causing her pain. He felt so good to her, she wanted to make him take her fully. But with each inch he entered her, she felt the anger and vengeance of two virgin goddesses that had helped create her. They made sure with each move he made, she would feel their displeasure as a ripping, hot agony in her nether regions. He pushed more, she nearly screamed as it felt like she was stabbed with a spear to her belly, or an arrow to her side...

_Please...stop! Why are you doing this to me? I've done nothing but honor you! I just want to love him! Please...help me. _

He pushed deeper. _Dear gods, how much more of him is there? _Her eyes squeezed shut, and she tried breathing through the pain. She held onto his shoulders like a lifeline, his solid presence an anchor to the divine rage she was experiencing. She almost relented and started to plead for him to stop, when she felt a soothing presence chase the fury away.

Soft like sea-foam and pink as the coral shell she arrived on, Aphrodite pushed away her vengeful sisters, then blessed her dutiful worshiper. Her whisper calmed Diana's spirit and body, healing the invisible wounds inflicted by the selfish goddesses. _Love him. My gift to you. Honor me._

Bruce started at Diana's relieved gasp. "Princess? Are you okay?" She answered by opening her eyes, blinking away her tears. She looked up into his face, seeing his concern for her, and his underlying need to continue moving. She answered by wrapping her legs around his hips, and pulling him fully into her. After the pain she had felt before, the slight stretching she felt now was nothing. In fact, _Sweet Aphrodite_ - he...felt...great!

Bruce nearly passed out with pleasure. She was so tight! He pushed even harder, filling her as far as he could go. Drawing back out, he pushed in again. She raised her hips to meet him, giving just the smallest bit of twist. And again, he thrusted into her - she twisted and squeezed. There were no words to describe it.

They started moving in earnest, making love as they had wanted to for days...years...and beyond. Bruce gripped her shoulders, holding her still has he started to add his own twist to his thrusts. She threw her head back, finally feeling the ecstasy that she had heard about for so long. Knowing he was inside of her, so intimately close, sent a wave of pleasure through her body. He nestled his face into her hair, thrusting faster, harder.

Diana moved as her body bade her, arching her back, moving her hips, meeting his thrusts, twisting, pushing, squeezing, rubbing...

Bruce, known for his steel will and control, let loose all his pent-up lust. He released all his power, and used his strength to pound into her. His rhythm was almost too fast, so she let him lead. He lifted her hips up higher, and she could feel a delicious friction on other parts of her warm areas. She wrapped her legs around his waist, hooking her ankles together, and let him ride her. Her entire body shook at the sheer force of him driving into her.

He knew he was near his own climax. He reached down, unhooking her knees from his hips. Bruce pushed her legs farther apart, raising himself above her to watch her bounce. She answered by roughly grabbing his face, and desperately kissing him, matching the movements of his hips...his thrusts...his...

Their combined pleasure roared out of their mouths, uncaring who heard them. He pushed again and she screamed his name. He grabbed her hair, thrusting even harder. His final push had him spilling inside of her, his growl sounding like her name, but lost in the relieved grunt from the back of his throat. He stroked her, from the inside and outside, until it felt like she was coming down from her high, too.

They moved together a few more times. He collapsed onto her, his energy spent, his lust sated. She wrapped her arms around him, enjoying his weight on top of her. She was breathing hard, and stray tears were still falling from her eyes. Bruce felt one graze his cheek, and he lifted himself onto his elbows to gaze down at her.

"Diana? You're crying! I thought you were enjoying it. I'm so sorry, I was too rough..."

"No, you were terrific! This...I can't control the tears. They're happy tears." She leaned into his caress as he wiped them away. He kissed her, further clearing the salty liquid from her lips. He searched her face, seeking to find out if she really did enjoy herself. Hoping to please her, he knew one more thing he could do that would make her happy.

"I love you, Diana. I love you so much."

"And I love you, Bruce, so very much." She glanced up at him mischievously. "And I have to say...that was so much better than being struck by lightning."

Bruce stared down at her in amazement. _She's got jokes...now! _He couldn't help it. He started chuckling, laughing at her audacity. She wrapped her arms around his neck, lightly laughing in relief. He nestled his face in her neck, hiding his mirth. This made her giggle even more.

She felt so light, so free. She finally had him. They were together. She was the happiest woman in the world.

His muffled "yes!" pushed her over the edge. Her laughter echoed through the room. So her gods were judging her. She would face them, the man in her arms by her side. She's made her choice. She wouldn't lose.

They settled into the covers of his bed. Bruce helped her get under the sheets, but realized she still had her sandals on. He reached down and helped her take them off. In the process, he found out her feet were ticklish, too. He wrapped her into his arms and pulled her in close to him. She sighed as he snuggled into her back, spooning her into his embrace. Together, they drifted asleep...

For about thirty minutes. Then someone started stirring. A wiggle issued a challenge. A pair of hands reached for his favorite body part. Two pairs of blue eyes slowly opened...

Round four. Or was that five? They stopped counting...

_To be continued..._

* * *

_*When I look, to you / Beautiful colors, oh yes / You move so sweet / Only by living / And I will dance / until dawn, with you / oh spinning around / I will dance until dawn - Butterfly in Havana - Si*Se_

* * *

_A/N First of all...whoo! {{Fanning self}} Yeah...can't believe I wrote that. Um. Yeah. Hope it was good for you. BTW, this chapter is dedicated to my Twitter friend KenjiMania, who kept asking for it. There's your lemonade! Go A's!_

_Anyway...so. At the beginning of the story I wrote that there was a subtle theme that I was weaving through here. Did you see it? If you think it was the Spanish flavor...nope! There was something else - take a look below:_

**Elements of a Fairytale**

**Special beginning and/or ending words  
**~ Once upon a time...and they lived happily ever after. Sometimes, there's a surprise ending… (Surprise ending...um, yep!)

**Good character  
**~ Do you see a kind, innocent character? Is the good character clever? Is s/he helped by others?

**Evil character  
**~ Do you see a witch? A demon? An evil stepmother? A sinister gnome?  
In the end, the evil character usually loses somehow… (Well, she wasn't EVIL...just a little short sighted!)

**Royalty  
**~ Is there a castle? A prince? A princess? A king? A queen?

**Poverty  
**~ Do you see a poor working girl, a poor family, a poor shepherd? – Do you see poor people trying to eke out a living to have enough to eat

**Magic**** and Enchantments  
**~ Do you see magical things happening? Do you see talking animals/objects? You might see fairies, trolls, elves, goblins, etc.

**Reoccurring Patterns / Numbers  
**~ Do you see any patterns? Often, you'll see things, phrases, tasks appear in "threes," "sixes," and/or "sevens"

**Universal Truths  
**~ the tale probably touches on some universal experiences (i.e., coming of age) or hopes (i.e., to have enough food and love)

**Common motifs ~**

- Talking animals / objects  
- Cleverness / trickster / word games  
- Traveler's tales  
- Origins ~ where do we come from?  
- Triumph of the poor  
- Human weakness explored (i.e., curiosity, gluttony, pride, laziness, etc.)  
- Human strengths glorified (i.e., kindness, generosity, patience, etc.)  
- Trickster (sometimes a hero, sometimes on the side of evil but humans benefit)  
- Tall story (slight exaggeration – hyperbole)  
- Magic words or phrases; repetition of phrases/words (_abracadabra!_)  
- Guardians (fairy godmothers, mentors, magical helpers, guides, etc.)  
- Monsters (dragons, ogres, evil creatures, etc.)  
- Struggle between good and evil, light and dark  
- Youngest vs. Oldest (sons, daughters, sibling rivalry)  
- Sleep (extended sleep, death-like trances)  
- Impossible tasks (ridiculously mind-numbing, fantastic effort needed to complete, etc.)  
- Quests  
- Gluttony / Starvation (there's a fine line between eating for survival and succumbing to temptation)  
- Keys, passes (opening new doors)  
- Donors, Benefactors, Helpers

_So, they might not be straight on interpretations, and I didn't use all of them, but they're there! Did you see the fairy godmother? And the Red Riding Hood reference? Hehehehe...Bruce, you bad wolf you._

_I will post the source link for the text above on my social pages. Re-read the story with this in mind. Until next time...(there's a weekend at a manor I have to write about!) - D. Nox :-)_


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